Dear No Name
by Dye-my-hands-violet
Summary: Casey recieves a letter in the autumn with no return address and no name. She continues correspondance with this secret admirer out of curiosity, till she becomes attracted to the personality written in the letters. Who could this wonderful person be? R
1. Prologue

**Author's Note******It's been forever since I made a story, right? Wrong. It's been forever since I posted a story. This is the first chapter of a story that I have completed, because I promised myself not to post it till I had fully written it. I haven't typed it all up, so it will be posted as I have time to type it. With school work and such, it may be a bit, but know that it IS finished. I'm glad for the people who have favorite/alerted me because of my previous writing, and I hope you aren't disappointed with this piece. For anyone who hasn't read my work, I hope you like it! Read, review, and keep in mind that I love constructive criticism. It is one way to improve on anything.

**Disclaimer******Dye-my-hands-yellow has informed me that she doesn't like being called Dye-my-hands-yellow. It reminds her of pee. In any case, I still don't own Life with Derek.

Casey stretched her arms out ready for the morning jog. It was autumn, so not the best temperatures, but the scenery was spectacular. She put a coat on over her sweats and headed down the stairs, and started toward the door not bothering to eat breakfast.

"Casey!" Her mom called out to her. Casey turned and went to her in the kitchen.

"Yeah?" Nora pointed down to the counter-top. A sealed Envelope with nothing but Casey's name was on it.

"There's no postage stamp, so someone probably walked to out house and dropped it in the mailbox." Her mom commented lazily, highly uninterested in the mystery. Casey picked it up and gingerly tore at the sealed part. Derek walked in and walked straight to the fridge, probably getting cereal and milk.

Casey pulled out the letter and unfolded it.

_Dear Casey, _

_I have liked you for quite some time and have decided it was time to tell you how I felt. Too bad I am not telling you my name. Honestly, I'm too afraid. Afraid for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons, and we may get into that later-_

"We?" Casey accidentally blurted aloud. Derek looked up at Casey and Nora mumbled a 'hmm'. "We –as in someone else likes me also, or we –as in me and this mystery-guy…or girl." Derek laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Like any guy would seriously like you, why on _earth _would a girl?" Casey scowled at him and went to the living room to finish reading the letter.

_For now, I want you to talk to me through letters and I'll tell you where to put the letters. It'll be fun. Please respect the fact that I don't want you to know who I am just yet. You don't know a lot of things about me, and if I came to you directly you probably wouldn't be too interested. Basically, I'm forcing you to get to know me before I ask you how you feel. Reply to this letter and this Friday leave it in the bush by your garage. If you ever want to figure out who I am, you'll keep in touch. _

_No Name._

"No name? Couldn't have been more creative could they have?" Casey said to herself mockingly. Inside her mind raced at the possible candidates of a crush, but had a stronger urge to write a letter.

"Who?" A little girl's voice echoed behind her. Casey turned as Lizzie bounced down the steps.

"Someone sent me, basically, a love letter leaving no name and instructions to write them back. How demanding, but very intriguing," Lizzie furrowed her eyebrows.

"I've always had the love of mysteries."

"I know you have kiddo. If you want I'll keep you posted."

"Definitely sis!" Lizzie said emphatically, and then went into the kitchen. Derek walked out and sat roughly in his chair. Casey stood up, without missing a beat, and headed out the door to take the predetermined autumn jog accompanied by the confused questions lingering on 'No Name'.


	2. No Name? No Gender?

**Author's Note******I had enough time to get this chapter in, I'll type some more tomorrow, given if my sister is on doing her music videos. I hope you enjoy this chapter! and I love all reviews!

**Disclaimer******I don't own Life with Derek. I don't own Derek. I don't own Casey. I don't even own the owners. Though if I did they wouldn't own it anyways. I'd double own Life with Derek. But I don't so, just read the fanfic.

The warm sun on her skin felt exhilarating, as it did every morning. One of the many reasons she had fallen in love with working out. It was a great way to pass time, stay in shape, stay healthy, and take her mind off of things; Except of course in this case.

She turned the corner toward the park as she did every day and jogged on the bike path. The familiar faces of other health nuts blurred past her, and her mind stirred.

_I hope it's not Tinker. I think I would have to die. I doubt its Sam, I doubt its Sheldon because he's with Emily. It wouldn't be Trevor, would it? No. It's not Emily I hope. I'm not against gays, but that doesn't make me gay. This is so frustrating. Do they want to make this hard for me? If they knew anything about me they would know I really don't like not knowing something. It makes me feel highly insecure. I mean- _

Casey tripped over a stick, mid-thought, falling to the right into the grass. Mark, the guy who hangs out in the park to make sure it stays clean, walked over to her and helped her up.

"Are you okay Little One?" He spoke with his Swedish accent. Casey smiled and brushed herself off. Honestly, he was a good person, but she didn't like how he always called her little one just because he was a million feet tall.

"Yeah, just fine. Thanks." She waved by and continued with her jog, slightly shaken by the fall. Her thoughts went on a completely new tangent, drowning out No Name, No Gender.

Upon returning home Casey found a rose where she was directed to put the letter. It was a white rose, a slight tinge of a milky color, with the thorns cut off. It was among her most favorite of flowers.

She hadn't even had the time to write the letter and there was already something there? Casey picked it up gingerly, afraid some psycho was going to pop out from the bushes and steal her for finding the flower too soon. That or they new she would spot it on her morning jog. Another possibility was that it was a forty year old loner with a hairy chest and nothing better to do than to stalk a harmless seventeen year-old. Casey gave herself a mental smack for thinking to much, in turn creeping herself out.

George walked out of the door nearly running into Casey.

"Sorry! Sorry, Casey." He looked at the rose in her hand. "Where'd you get the flower?"

"Actually George it's a rose, and I believe I got in from a secret admirer." Her voice purring close to a melody.

"Oh. A secret admirer. I used to do that with girls I liked." Casey raised her eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Some of them I never told them who I was because I was incredibly scared." Casey nodded her head, now pondering on No Name and if he/she would ever tell their name. What if she never knew? She would float about in life wondering what if?

"I'm sorry?" George smiled.

"Oh, it's just a small bit that I remembered form my past. I have to go though."

"Where?" 

"Grocery store. I have a list and everything." He held up the list and groaned. Casey laughed and went inside.

Derek was sitting in his chair still, Edwin was on the couch and Lizzie sat next to him. Marti was at the dinner table doing crafts. Casey made a mental note to clean up her mess in case her mom forgets to.

"Where'd you get the rose?" Edwin asked curiously. Casey took off her jacket and looked to him.

"I found it outside." She whispered dreamily. Obviously this person knew enough about her, and cared enough about her to know and get a white rose.

"Probably from her girlfriend." Derek interjected, smirking. Casey gave a cold scowl.

"I do NOT have a girlfriend. I don't even know if it's a girl. If it is I can let her down gently, it's not like I'm against gays." Edwin knew that this was turning into a fight so he butted out and watched the television. Lizzie looked intently between Derek and her sister.

"You like girls. I can tell. I see the way you look at Emily." Casey rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah? And how do I look at Emily?"

"Like this." Derek turned his eyes away from the television and gazed upward in a heart-twisting, mind-bottling glance. Casey's mouth opened slightly. He'd be a good actor.

"I don't think so." She dismissed him and went upstairs. He yelled something but she didn't catch it.

Casey forcefully grabbed a pen and pad of paper, agitated by Derek's comments. She set her rose softly on the bed and went to her desk to write.

_Dear No Name, _

_I have to know if you are female or male. If you are a female, I am sorry but I am not attracted to girls. Sure I have thought about it before but I have never acted on it and never plan to. Tell me now, if you want me to continue this correspondence. _

_If you are male tell me a few things about yourself that you think I wouldn't care to hear about if I actually knew you. If you want to know more about me, ask me, because I am almost certain there are a lot of things you don't know about me. If they are personal, I will have to know that I can trust you which may take a while. _

_I also need to know that you aren't some creepy stalker-person, who is, like, forty-million years old. So an age, maybe grade. _

_Though I hate the mystery of this, I will try my best to be patient till you reveal who you are. _

_-Casey_

She folded the paper up and went to the living room again to get an envelope from the drawers beside the stairs. Derek glanced back and continued watching television. Lizzie turned, curious as to what Derek looked at.

"You wrote back?" She asked her older sister.

"Yeah. I'm just putting it in this envelope and placing it where they told me to."

"What did you write?"

"I asked them if they were male or female, among other things." Casey licked the sealer, gagged, and closed it up. She stomped out of the house and set it in the said position.


	3. Do they really date females?

**Author's Note******I hope this chapter isn't boring. Derek's a total jerk in this chapter, but he's a really great guy! I promise! I love reviews! And of course constructive criticism!

**Disclaimer **I don't own Life with Derek. Unless I own your pinky and Micheal Seater. Which I don't. Or do I?

Casey walked back in the house, and went up the stairs to her room. She was hoping that another letter with the response would just appear, but logic told her that things like that don't just _happen._

After about an hour of pouring herself over notes from classes and finishing her homework, Casey headed down the stairs to eat a snack. Lizzie looked up at her from the couch and smiled. Casey of course smiled but said nothing. Edwin crossed her path and folded his arms, blocking her.

"Um, excuse me." She was highly annoyed.

"Not until you hear me out." Casey shifted. "About a week ago I discovered something behind the toilet seat." Her nose scrunched up.

"Ew!"

"It was a bracelet." Edwin then pulled a dark green braided bracelet with beads reading 'Casey'. "I assume it's yours."

"I've never seen that in my life." Casey shrugged her shoulders, and tried to go past him.

"Well I doubt it's anyone else's in the house, maybe Sam accidentally left it here. Ask around, I'm tired of holding onto it." Edwin then shoved it purposefully in her hand and let her pass.

As she walked silently to the kitchen, she slipped it on her wrist.

A perfect fit.

Lizzie walked in after her, smiling still. Casey laughed because her face was a funny-dorky-happy look.

"Why are you so happy?"

"I thought you'd _never _ask!" Lizzie held out her arms excitedly.

"Why?"

"Jamie asked me out!"

"Aww. That's so cute! I thought you didn't like him though…"

"I do! You're so thick." Casey sighed and hugged her sister.

"In any case, I'm happy for you!" She smiled downward. Lizzie's first boyfriend was sure to be a nice experience for her.

Derek walked in arrogantly as always.

"Why are we happy for Lizzie?" He looked down to Lizzie, curious.

"I'm going out with Jamie finally!"

"Oh. You have a girlfriend too?" Lizzie's mouth fell open.

"You take that back! Jamie's a BOY!" Her finger was pointed angrily in the air. Derek scoffed and turned away. Lizzie took that moment to kick the back of his knee. He fell forward a little and turned with a look of shock and fury. After a moment to let the shock settle, he chased Lizzie out of the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Casey was laughing so hard she was in tears.

Dinner was a normal meal of plain chicken and rice. In Casey's mind she decided to make casserole tomorrow, given her mom had nothing already planned for dinner. Tonight's dinner was filled with buzzed conversation.

"So Lizard, anything new with you?" Nora asked curiously. Edwin piped up.

"Yeah! She's got a boyfriend. Remember Jamie from our party?" George and Nora nodded their heads. "That's him." Derek smirked.

"There's also someone else who has a new 'special friend'." He looked at Casey, who glared at him, knowing what was coming. _How predictable. Leave it to someone like him to drag this out. Once I find out it's a guy, I'll throw it in his face. Then he'll have to shut up. _

"Oh really? Who? You?" George asked obliviously.

"Casey has a girlfriend." He said matter-o-factly. Casey crossed her arms and everyone's eyes were on her.

"I don't have a girlfriend. I have a secret admirer. And just because I don't know if it's a boy, does _not _mean it's a girl." Her face was red with embarrassment, even though it was just her family. The thought of her with a girl was ludicrous.

"Derek, don't say things like that!" Lizzie interjected annoyed with Derek's lesbian-type thoughts.

"Yeah, if it's not true, don't say it." Nora spoke sternly.

"It could be true. She doesn't know." He ate a bite of the chicken.

"I don't know the gender, but I know I'm not going out with them. You're so unintelligent. Try reading a book, or actually doing something with your life instead of slacking your way thinking idiotic things!"

"Casey, that's not a very nice thing to say." George commented calmly.

"So! I'm sick of him! He drags things out, even if it's not true! Here you are defending him like always! No one stops to think about how much he torments me. I can't take it anymore! I've loved school more than I ever have before and I only have a few friends, I can't stand being in my own home because _he's _made it so incredibly unbearable!" Derek's eyebrows raised and he smirked as though her pain was humorous. She slammed the fork down next to her plate and ran up the stairs.

Pacing in her room, she yelled out random words. It wasn't even a huge deal till he made it a huge deal. _Just like he does with everything else. Why does he hate me so much? I wouldn't be a jerk to him if he wasn't so obnoxious. I'm a very nice person but he thinks I'm some random bitch kid of the wife his dad married. A year and we still fight! A year and he still hates me! It won't get better; I was a fool to think it would. _A knock on her door resonated through the room.

"Come in, unless you're Derek…" Casey said loud enough to be heard. George walked in and shut the door behind him. She sat in the computer chair and looked at George. He was clueless, but he was a good person. It was his son she disliked.

"Sorry about dinner." He sat down on the edge of her bed.

"You're not the one that hurt my feelings."

"Sounded like I did."

"Sorry…I guess I tend to over-react." George coughed uncomfortably.

"Well, I'll try to talk to Derek. I do, but he doesn't seem to get it. I'm sorry, but I can't make him stop. If I had some magical remote that would make him stop, I wouldn't have hesitated to use it, but I don't. I'm sorry kiddo." Casey looked down. A small wave of guilt came over her. She didn't want George to feel sorry or guilty; she wanted _Derek _to feel sorry and guilty.

But he wouldn't. _I guess it's time to come to terms with things. _

George left the room after Casey got a few things about Derek off her chest. She paced the room; listening to a CD she bought last weekend when she was at the mall with Emily. When the thoughts of anger stilled, she decided to sleep.


	4. Get a Vase, Save a Rose

**Author's Note******I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! If it's boring, I'm sorry, but hang on with it because it will get better! If you don't think this is boring, then you're in luck because it will be even better for you! Read and review, leave constructive thoughts, and perhaps check out my completed works? It's all up to you!

A knock on her door woke her up from her sleep. The sun was shining warmly in her room, making her feel cozy. She was truly a morning person. Nora walked into the room and smiled down at her daughter.

"You feel better? Calmer?" Casey sat up and smiled sweetly at her mom.

"Yeah. I think I over-reacted yesterday. It really wasn't a big deal."

"Yeah, well, I can understand why you break down like that. I used to be like that. Just breathe and walk away. You don't need to listen to a word he says. He does it just to get under your skin and when you let it sink in and make you mad, he wins."

"You're right. He wins. He always does. He doesn't care about anyone but himself." She scoffed.

"So, try not to let it bother you and it won't. He may not quit, but at least you won't be hurt by it." Nora smiled wisely at her teenage daughter. Casey felt twisted and morphed so completely strangely, without any consciousness as to the way things were, or how they should be. _It would be so much easier to be someone else, with another family, other memories, other ex-boyfriends, and less mysterious admirers. It's not like I bite. Or do I? Maybe I really am scary. I do freak out. I freak out a lot. I am scary! _

Nora kissed Casey's forehead and handed her a letter. Casey looked down, and it had no return address. Nora left the room.

"I thought he/she was going to leave it Friday? Maybe they happened to walk by my house and saw it…" She spoke quietly to herself. Quickly opening it, and unfolding the letter, she saw the rose on the floor out of the corner of her eye. A sad pang hit her heart, realizing she had forgotten to it in a vase. It was probably dead, though the petals still looked in tact.

Casey set the letter on the bed and went downstairs to find something to put the rose in, in an attempt to save it. A vase was atop the fridge. She tried standing on her tip toes to get the vase, but she was too short. A feeling of defeat hit her, and she went to find a stool of some sort. Derek walked past her, nudging her shoulder.

Casey rolled her eyes and blew it off like her mom told her to. Derek entered the kitchen and looked up at the top of the fridge, and then peered back at Casey.

"Were you trying to get something from up there?" He pointed upwards. She bent downwards, looking under the table for a stool still.

"Yeah. I needed the vase. Why?" There wasn't an answer but Casey didn't notice the silence. She looked in a closet, and still no stool.

"Here." Casey turned to see Derek holding the vase out to her. She was taken back, and didn't grab the vase. "This is what you wanted right?"

"Yeah." She took the vase and filled it with water. Derek went to sit at the TV. Her eyes peered at what he was watching.

_Women's Volleyball. How typical. _

"Thanks Derek." Casey said softly as she headed for the stairs.

"You don't need to thank me. All I did was grab the vase off the fridge because you're so short."

"Well, thanking you is common courtesy something that-"Casey stopped herself. Once again she was leading herself into a fight with him. He did something nice and she was going to ruin it over the smallest thing. Derek looked expectantly at her. She smiled and said, "In any case. Thanks."

Casey placed the rose in the vase gently, and looked at it for a few moments, contemplating. It was one of the reasons she loved white roses. They make you think, and they look warm and cold at the same time.

The letter called out to her in an ambient voice of curiosity. Without hesitation to the calling, she read the entire letter.

_Dear Casey, _

_Thanks for responding so quickly. I was afraid you'd end up over thinking what your reply should be. I'm not a female, sorry if it bothered you not knowing that at first. I'm not forty-million years old! I'm only a few months older than you, and in the same grade, twelfth. _

_I wouldn't want to say anything about me that would give me away, so I'll say things that you REALLY won't know. When I have an overwhelming emotion, I write in an online journal so I don't end up showing how I really feel. I like acting, which I plan to do in the future. My scholastic achievements are far too little. I want to do better, but I'm not smart enough to keep up, so I get discouraged. Honestly, I gave up a while ago. I admire that you are so smart and can keep up. _

_So tell me about you. I know a lot about you, I believe, and would love to hear what you think I don't know. _

_Leave your letter in the crook of the garage door. I pass your house every day because I go to the church down your street._

_No Name._

Casey smiled. In truth, she was glad it was a boy, because the idea of having a secret admirer made her feel loved. He was into acting, even though he wasn't dedicated to schoolwork, and he admitted to being a typical male. Not wanting to show their feelings. _That's pretty much every male on the planet. Of course there are some exceptions, but a good majority is aggressive and secretive. Who could this be? _

Deciding that she would write back immediately, she pulled out a piece of paper from her desk.

_Dear No Name, _

_It's fantastic you are into acting; in fact I am into it as well. I also love dancing. A lot of people don't know this but I like drawing as well. I only draw when I have a strong emotion which could be in the form of stress, or sadness, or when it comes to my step-brother –anger. _

_There are a lot of things that I could say about myself, but if you asked a more specific question I could tell you something you wanted to know…unless of course it was too personal. _

_I guess I could tell you about my home life. You probably don't know that much about it unless you've talked to Derek or Emily My mom is wonderful and she's married to my step-dad George. He lives up to his not-so-funny nickname George Clueless. Marti is the cutest thing, but she throws a lot of temper tantrums. I imagine her to be a true individual in the future. My sister Lizzie is into sports, and though I support her, it's not my thing. Edwin is my younger step-brother who will probably be a businessman in the future. And then there's Derek. The bane of my existence. He's not a terrible person; he's just terrible to me. _

_How's your home life? _

_Casey._

She let out a sigh as her hand started to cramp. Lizzie opened the door and walked in. Casey looked at her, confused, as she shut the door behind her.

"Are you okay Kiddo?" She sat up to better converse with Lizzie.

"Yeah. Just confused." Lizzie sat down on the computer chair with a loud thunk.

"About what Sweetie?"

"Why are guys so stupid?"

"Is this something about Jamie?" Lizzie looked away.

"Yeah!" She faced the ceiling in frustration. Casey was concerned.

"Tell me about it Hun."

"He doesn't want me to play a sport with him while he's playing with his brothers. Apparently his family thinks I'm weird for liking sports because I am a girl."

"His family? Does Jamie feel that way too?"

"No, but he's sure not defending me. He's a jerk!"

"Oh, Lizzie he's a little kid. Are they all the brothers older than him?"

"One is younger, but he could have at least tried!" Casey put an arm around her sister.

"I know what you mean. Did you talk to him about it?" There was a pause.

"No." Lizzie looked down, defeated. "What if he won't listen?"

"Well at least try to give it a shot. Couldn't hurt, could it?" Lizzie smiled Casey, and there was an understanding between them. She loved her little sister so much. A huge part of her knew they would always be there for one another.

"You're right. I'll talk to him. You're the best!" Lizzie walked out of the room quickly, and shut the door. Casey took a few moments to compose herself and folded the letter, and then headed out her door, nearly running into Derek.

"Watch it!" Derek yelled out. Casey pursed her lips and then stormed past him before she broke into scream.

Five minutes later, the letter was placed in a sealed envelope in the crook of the garage door.


	5. Do I Really Hate You?

**Author's Note******I hope I have time during the week to type up some more, because it is finished, but I will probably have homework, and I have to share with the other members of the household. There are four other people in the house that like to get onto the computer…So you might get two chapters over the week. Hope you like this, and again, I love LOVE love all reviews! Oh. Hey. I make a reference to the short-end of the stick. For those who don't know where that derived from, I'll tell you. It's gross…but humorous. I think…Anyway. In olden days when people used the restroom outside, they used a stick to wipe when they did number 2. When the whole entire stick, minus the handle part, was –dirty- the person with the short end of the stick had to grab the dirty part so they could use the clean part. Gross. Huh.

This Author's Note is getting long, but it's a short chapter, sorry. Someone told me to make longer chapters, which I agree, but sometimes I think it fits better in the 'shortness' Hope you enjoy it besides.

**Disclaimer******I don't own Life with Derek. Some other lucky bastard does.

Casey's alarm clock sounded the morning of Monday, fifth Monday of the school year. Calmly turning it off, she headed to the bathroom.

Of course Derek was already in it. He was singing some lame rock song, knowing that she was outside the door. Casey knocked hard.

"Hurry up!"

"I'll take as long as I need! Get some patience." He said without concern. From the other side of the door, Casey heard him gargling water so she opened the door. "Get out McDonald."

"I need to brush my teeth." She grabbed her tooth brush and stood next to him as she brushed her teeth. He kept giving her funny looks in the mirror. _What a retard…_

"You really _do _need to brush your teeth. I can smell that from up here." Casey took the tooth brush out of her mouth and glared up at him. Derek spit out the remaining tooth paste and saliva, and left the bathroom to Casey. Her eyes rolled after he left. _Just stay cool, don't let his remarks bother you. You can do it. You aren't a quitter. _

After changing and eating breakfast, she and Derek headed to the bus stop. He walked behind her as usual, because they refused to walk next to each other and Casey was the faster walker.

Upon opening the door to the outside her minds thoughts became frantic. _Derek is a jack-hole. Why does he always have to be mean? Why do I have to change to a person who doesn't let it bother her? Why can't he change into someone who actually cares about other people's feelings? It's not fair. It's never fair. It seems fair to Derek…He always gets the better deal and I get the short-end of the stick. I wonder if my secret admirer got my letter…_

Casey glanced at the garage door. The letter was gone, but there was no response in the mailbox. She felt a strain of disappointment. _I hope Derek didn't take it. That would be really mean. _

Emily jogged to catch up with her.

"Hey Casey! Why didn't you wait for me?" She breathed out heavily.

"Oh sorry…I guess my mind was on other things." Casey smiled weakly at her, hoping she wouldn't ask why, because honestly she didn't feel like ranting about Derek for once.

"About Derek right?" Anger pulse through Casey and keeping it in was no longer a choice. She gave up to easily.

"Yes! He always gets his way! It's not fair! I hate him!" Emily stopped and Casey turned back to look at her.

"You hate him?" Casey looked back at Derek and he had stopped too.

"Yeah. I think so." She realized that she never really told anyone she hated him. Did she really hate him? Or was she just upset with the situation?

"You've _never _said that before." Derek crossed the street, and Emily's mouth was hanging open.

"I-I I guess I really haven't. I don't know. Forget I said it." Casey turned and walked to the bus stop next to Emily in silence.

On the bus Derek sat behind Casey. _Probably going to taunt me because of what I said. _Emily was sitting by the window, turned away from Casey. _Oh as if what I said about Derek is supposed to hurt her. _

"Casey." A low whisper sounded in her ear. Casey turned to Derek.

"What?" She asked as nicely as possible.

"Is what I do, that bad?" Casey furrowed her eyebrows, not sure what to say.

"Sometimes it is. You don't care about anyone else, what should it matter how I feel to you? It's not like I meant it anyway. I think. I don't know. Just…"

"Just shut up, I have to say something. You hate the things I do to you right?" Casey gave him a 'duh' look. "Well, I hate the things you say. And I stole this letter; I was going to destroy it, but here. Take it." Derek shoved an envelope reading 'Casey' onto her lap.

Derek leaned back into the seat behind her and Emily looked at Casey.

"What's that? Who's it from?" She asked Casey frantically curious. Casey looked behind at Derek and then looked at Emily.

"My secret admirer."


	6. Two Problems and a Mystery

**Author's Note******I'm in love with all my reviewers! Thank you so much! I have had quite the few reviews on who they think it is, or say they have an idea…Let's just say at this point I am definitely trying to make it obvious to the reader, but not Casey. Okay? I hope you enjoy this chapter! Much love to you all and review!

**Disclaimer******Don't own it. Cause I don't really exist. Or do I? Maybe.

"Well open it! I want to read it!" Emily looked back at Derek and smiled a girly smile then leaned over as Casey ripped the top.

_Dear Casey, _

_I take it you don't like Derek? I've talked to him a couple of times. Sure he's cool, but sometimes I don't like him. How about you tell me more about your all girls school, did you ever have a boyfriend back where you used to live? I've lived in the same place all my life. I would have gone with my mom after my parents divorced, but I didn't get along with her like I do with my dad. _

_My home life is definitely interesting. There's nothing boring about being at home, though my younger sister doesn't really like living with boys. I tend to write about her the most in my online journal because she's so frustrating. I'll just be playing around and she'll say something hurtful, like I was ruining her life. I try not to let it bother me, but sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it does. I guess you can't be compatible with everyone. _

_Another question I've always wanted to ask you was what your favorite subject was. I know it doesn't seem like a life-altering question, but I noticed that you had so many different interests, what's your favorite? Personally, I love gym class. _

_Leave the letter under the tires of the pink bike next to your front steps._

_No Name._

"Aww, he sounds really sweet!" Emily said loudly. Derek laughed behind Casey.

"Yeah, he does. But we can't go on first impressions right? Not that this is a 'first' impression, I'm still just getting to know him. Hopefully he won't turn out to be a jerk."

"Oh Casey, you think too much. Just go with it for a change." Emily took the letter from Casey's hand. "This guy is genuinely interested in you, and all you can think of his how he _might _turn out. How many letters have you gotten from him anyways, since this isn't your first?"

"This is the third."

"Well stop thinking so much. Did you do the poetry assignment for creative writing?"

"Yeah. I did all three."

"Over achiever, he said we only had to do one over the weekend." Casey shrugged her shoulders and took the letter back and put it in the envelope.

"Can't hurt. I wasn't doing anything special with my time anyways." Casey stuck the letter in her notebook.

"Well, you are this weekend." She turned to Emily, intrigued.

"What do you mean?"

"This weekend we are going to see Coldspray!" Emily's face filled with excitement at her own sentence. Derek jumped up.

"And you're taking Casey!" Emily turned to him. Casey rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. She's my best friend."

"Well then you should know that she really doesn't like rock music. I should know. She tells me to turn mine off all the time. Take me instead." He smirked at Emily.

"I don't like a lot of rock music but I like Coldspray. Em's taking me, _not _you." Casey said forcefully without turning to look at him. Emily looked back and forth between Derek and Casey. She sat down and mumbled something.

"Sorry Der, I'm taking Casey."

The bus let off, Derek went a separate direction as Casey and Emily. At the locker Em was silent, making Casey feel a little uneasy.

"Are you okay Em?" She smiled at Casey.

"I'm fine Case. Don't worry."

"Come on Em. You know me; I'm definitely going to worry now." Emily put a book in the locker and then looked solemnly at Casey for a few moments before speaking.

"It's nothing really. I can't tell you even if I wanted to. Plus Derek never really asks me to hang out with him…even though we are supposed to be friends. Which is probably because you don't want him to hang out with me?"

"I don't tell him not to. I told him not to date you." Emily's face turned red. "It's not like he would listen to me anyways.

"You told him not to date me?!" Her face got even redder as she slammed the locker. "How could you do that Casey?"

"Because he was doing it to get under my skin." Emily scoffed.

"Yeah. _That _was the reason." She turned on a heel and stormed away from Casey. _It's not that big of a deal. Do I make a big deal out of things like this? Why couldn't Em understand that they are so wrong for each other? She's my friend. I should care about her right? Maybe she's supposed to make her own mistakes. Just like everyone else. You cant' stop someone from experiencing something that you knew was coming before they did. You HAVE to let it happen…or this happens…and they resent you._ Casey sighed. She couldn't wait till Thursday to talk to Paul.

Casey needed to talk to him today.

Two class periods passed before she got called down to his office.

"Have a seat Casey." Casey sat down calmly. "You're lucky. I was booked on my free periods today, but one of the people schedule went home sick this morning. What's going on?"

"I have two problems and a mystery."

"One of them is Derek right?" Casey looked away. _I am so predictable…_

"Yeah." She breathed out low. "I also had a small fight with Emily, and I have a secret admirer."

"Well tell me about the problem with Derek and Emily."

"I hardly use the word hate…it's such a strong word! And I told Emily today that I hated Derek because of how he was treating me this weekend. He heard me say it too. I think I hurt his feelings." Casey looked down, ashamed.

"Did you tell him you were sorry?" She looked up guiltily.

"No. I think I tried, but I really didn't. He said he hated the things I said to him. I think his exact words were 'You hate the things I do to you? Well I hate the things you say.' It made me feel _horrible_!"

"Well tell him you are sorry and see what he does." Casey heaved out a breathy sigh. Paul smiled. A quick silence ensued, but Paul broke it with a question. "So what about this thing with Emily?"

"She obviously still likes Derek. She thinks it's my fault he doesn't hang out with her! I told her that I never told him to not hang out with her. I told him not to date her and she got angry at me. They aren't right for each other! I wish she would just get it. If she were to get with him, she would just get hurt. He's not interested in her like she is into him."

"Well, do you think that was the right thing to do?"

"No." Casey crossed her arms.

"What are you going to do?"

"About Em?" Paul nodded his head. "I don't really feel sorry, because I think I did the right thing. He didn't listen though. He went on a date with her. It's really not my fault." Paul raised his eyebrows. "I'm TERRIBLE! I'm the worst best friend ever!"

"No you're not Casey. You had Emily's best interests at heart. But sometimes you can't interfere."

"I know…So I should stop trying to protect her?"

"Not all the time."

"Well how do I know which times I should protect her."

"The times that she won't get mad at you for it." Casey nodded her head. She fidgeted with her fingers uncomfortably. "Is there anything else?" Paul smiled eagerly.

"Just a secret admirer. He won't tell me his name because he thinks that I wouldn't even give him the chance to get to know him if I knew who he was."

"So how are you getting to know him?"

"Through letters. He leaves them in my mailbox and I leave them where he tells me to leave them. So far…he seems like a really sweet guy." Casey gritted her teeth. She was trying to be more positive, because of Emily's comment on the bus.

"Well I hope it goes well for you."

"Thanks Paul, for helping me out. I'm going to go to class now." Casey smiled and stood up.

"Will I be seeing you this Thursday since I saw you today?"

"Probably. Keep it free just in case, okay?" He nodded his head as Casey left the room.


	7. The Opinionated and Mischevious

**ATTENTION: READ AUTHORS NOTE!**

**Author's Note******Okay…I don't want to shy anyone away from the story because of the content in this chapter. I had one reviewer beg it not to be a Demily. I have already completed the fic, and I am only making subtle changes as I write it. I ASSURE YOU THAT IT WILL NOT BE A DEMILY. Sorry Demily fans, but I think she's a tad psychotic over Derek. No man (Or woman) has ever made me that delirious, and I don't think anyone should EVER make you lose your mind to the point of obsession. (A little crazy…is ok…but obsession to the point of you writing down details on all relationships and preferences right down to the favorite color is a tad extreme.). But yeah. All in all. Bear with me readers/reviewers!

Oh. And if you hate suspense, don't read it. Because it's my first attempt at a suspense without the dramatics. You know what I mean?

**Disclaimer******I do believe I didn't tell you to read this. Well in any case, J'adore LWD et j'adore ma 'reviewers' mais I don't own Life with Derek. (I love LWD and I love my reviewers but I don't own Life with Derek.) Even French can't make me feel better about not owning it.

As she stepped out of Paul's office she ran into Tinker Tomlin. Her five subject notebook fell onto the floor, opening and bending pages, along with Tinker's sheets of loose-leaf paper, still floating to the floor as they bent down to pick up their fallen items.

"Hi Casey!" Tinker said enthusiastically, with the largest and most sincere smile on his face.

"Hey." She said quietly without looking up, slightly frustrated with the mishap.

"How was your weekend, anything interesting or just homework?" He questioned without his enthusiasm dwindling, as he stood with his dirtied papers in hand, not caring that they had even fallen in the first place.

"Umm. Interesting I guess. I did the homework of course." He reached out a hand to her to help her up, but she stood without even looking at his hand. Casey knew that he liked her, it was so completely obvious.

Then a nerve shook her. _What if it's Tinker?_

"What happened that was interesting?" She turned to him, her hand shaking slightly.

"Apparently…" His eyebrows rose, listening intently, "Apparently I have a secret admirer."

"Really?" He looked at the water fountain and back at Casey. "Who?"

"I don't know. He left me letters in my mailbox." Tinker let out a breath of relief, signaling that it probably wasn't him, but Casey was still in question if it was him.

"How creative of him." She looked at him long.

"Yeeeaaahh." He furrowed his eyebrows and was about to say something when a hand reached around her shoulder and stole her away from him.

The person had pushed her in front of him/her so she couldn't tell who it was. She knew nothing could happen to her while they were at school, but she still had the mild fright making her heart race a little. After about thirty seconds of walking, and struggling because Casey wanted to see who dared to _push _her, the person turned down a small corridor that had old, rusty, unused lockers.

_Creepy._

When the person let go of her she quickly turned.

"Der-ek!" She shoved him and his back hit into the locker behind him. "What was that for? Why did you take me down here? Is there a point? You freaked me out!" Derek smirked and raised his eyebrows.

"Chill." He crossed his arms. "I'm here to discuss those Coldspray tickets. I think-" Casey cut him off.

"You can have mine." Derek uncrossed his arms. "I hurt Emily's feelings, even though I think she's being completely irrational about a lot of things concerning _you_, but it will be my way to make it up to her." He started to say something but she continued. "Even though you probably only want to go because of the concert, not because you want to spend an evening with Emily. She thinks you seriously wanted to be friends with her…but guess not." He tried to say something, but she turned away from him, hair flying up, and stormed out of the hallway.

Casey turned left, and two more lefts, and then a right, coming to a door that read 209. She walked into her fourth hour class early and saw Emily with her head down. Quite arrogantly, Casey walked up to the sleeping Emily and shook her.

"I'm up Mrs…" She looked up at Casey. "Casey." Casey smiled.

"You can call me Casey. No need to add the Mrs. Besides, I'm not married." Emily smiled for a moment and then turned away, obviously still hurt.

Casey hid her frustration as best as possible and sat down next to Emily.

"I told Derek he could go with you." Emily turned to Casey.

"That's okay Casey. You're my best friend, and I offered it to you first."

"Yeah, but we both know that you never get to hang with Derek, and since me _and _Derek are supposed to be your friend then you can hang with him this time, since your practically _always_ with me." Emily smiled.

"Thanks Casey." They hugged their girl hug, and started talking about the cute new guy at the front of the class. Before the conversation got too 'deep' however the bell rang and they were forced to abandon all conversation besides that of the teacher to student conversation.

After class Casey headed to the locker and Em headed to her next class. Upon opening the locker a letter fell out with her name on it. Casey became confused. She hadn't even responded. Why on earth was there a letter now, in the middle of school, for a second time in a row.

Forgetting which book she had even come to get, she grabbed the letter and closed the locker door. As she walked she opened the letter quickly and read to herself.

_Dear Casey, _

_One more question before you respond. Why are you so damn opinionated? Is there something you get out of a good debate, or a heated argument? I see you constantly getting frustrated with various people, and I always wondered why you let yourself get worked up. Why does it bother you so much?_

_No Name of course._

Casey put it to her side and crumpled it up. _Sweet? My foot. How dare he! He doesn't even __know __me. What a jerk!_

She threw the note into the trash can and went to her class without her book, but too flustered to care.

At home she did her homework as quickly as possible. She couldn't wait to give No Name a piece of her mind. At least having it in her locker confirmed that he was indeed from the school. Hopefully not some strung out last resort substitute teacher. A pen still in hand, the words practically wrote themselves without forethought.

_Dear No Name, _

_It shouldn't concern you as to who I have dated in the past, before I moved here, and it shouldn't bother you how opinionated I am! I am a woman, with a mind I'll have you know, and I refuse to be belittled into situations that I don't need to be in. I am constantly challenged in my home, so I have become more aggressive due to these habitual changes. If it bothers you, then quit speaking to me! And if you must know, it's Derek that is my challenge! I always fight with him and now it's starting to carry on to school life. Sometimes it's a curse, most of the time it's a curse, but just fighting with him I realize things that I didn't before! So I like 'heated arguments' on occasion, and YES I love a good debate, but don't judge me for it!_

_The Opinionated, _

_Casey._

She folded it up roughly, still in a fury from his audacity, and shoved it into an envelope then stormed to the pink bike and shoved it haphazardly beneath the front tire. She smiled; feeling accomplished and entered the house when a thought struck her.

_I could watch from my window till he comes to get it._

Her smile grew to a mischevious grin, and she walked calmly up the stairs.


	8. Secrets Not To Tell

**Author's Note******I sure hope that it's not too predictable for you guys. I see a lot of guessing, and honestly I've gotten so many amazing reviews! I'm excited to see that Meg is reviewing again! (I sent you a letter BTW!) Because she's just amazing. My other reviewers have been giving me the type of responses I LOVE to see! You are trying to guess what's coming up, what these events are leading up to! Sometimes they aren't correct, sometimes they are pretty much close to being correct, and sometimes they are vague guesses that are correct (Primarily because they are vague) but Great! Keep reading; Keep enjoying (I hope) and Keep Reviewing:D

**Disclaimer******_What would you do for the right to LWD and a Klondike bar?_ _Would you sleep in sewer water-bed? _Possibly_ Have you? _No._ You must not own LWD then. _Sadly, that's correct…I don't have that bloody Klondike bar either…

Casey was peering out the window for roughly ten minutes when a tapping was heard from the other side of the door. However she kept her attention upon the letter shoved beneath the pink bike's front tire. After a few moments, Derek walked in and shut the door. Casey stood up, reading to tell him to get out for being rude and barging in, but he held up a hand, silencing her, as he walked closer to her.

"I would like to tell you that you can take your ticket and go to the Coldspray concert with Emily," Casey opened her mouth ready to say something, but Derek continued, "Because me and Sam have our own tickets." Again, she opened her mouth, ready to say something, but again Derek continued, "And if you weren't so feisty and fiery when it came to me, I would've been able to tell that to you at school." Casey crossed her arms, and Derek smirked. She had half a mind to slap him, but decided not to because she wanted to get back to spying on the bike, or so to speak.

"Are ya done?" Her eyebrows raised. He looked at her for a few moments, seemingly at a loss of what to say.

"Yeah. So, should I drive their separate from you and Emily or is she going to want to still hang out with me if you are going, since, you _hate _me." Casey looked down and to the left, thoroughly ashamed of her word choice earlier that day.

"What I meant by that was-"

"It doesn't matte-"

"Yeah it does. I'm sorry." She looked up at him and smiled. Derek smirked downward at her, and she felt he accepted the apology. Only until he replied of course.

"I don't need your apologies Casey."

"Fine!" She crossed her arms furiously, "I'm not giving it, now leave! I have something important to do!" His eyebrows turned inward.

"With what?"

"It's _really_ none of your business."

"Tell me anyways, or I'll bug you. We all know how you _love_ that." Casey rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

"If you _must _know, I'm trying to find my secret admirer. I want to know who it is so I'm going to stay up all night if I have to just to find out." Derek nodded his head and turned to leave. She closed the door hard behind him and sat down at the windowsill.

Not even two minutes later Derek walked outside and headed straight for the bike. He pushed it over and grabbed the letter. Casey opened the window forcefully and called out in a harsh voice to Derek.

"PUT THAT BACK!"

"You want me to put this back?" His voice was echoing upward, almost silent to her because of the distance between them. He held up the letter, tauntingly.

"PUT IT BACK OR I WILL COME DOWN THERE AND-"

"And what? Chase me? Hurt me? You don't have the _muscle._" Casey slammed the window down so hard the frame shook and she bolted out her room, down the stairs, and through the front door.

Derek was casually walking to Emily's house next door and Casey ran forward and jumped onto his back. He fell forward a little, and then struggled to get her off his back as she reached forward trying to grab the letter from him.

"Get off!" He yelled out, as she hooked her arm around his neck trying to pull him back to get the letter, which was out of reach.

"Give me the letter and I will!"

Amidst their struggle Emily walked out because of the commotion they were causing. She looked frightened, glancing from Derek to Casey.

"Casey what are you _doing?_" She called out, yelling, but trying to keep it quiet at the same time.

"He's stealing my letter!" Emily's eyes widened. Derek dropped the letter, and Emily hurried up and grabbed it. Casey stopped struggling and Derek dumped her off. She fell with a hard thud on the green grass, causing her pants to get a grass stain.

Casey stood up and shoved him, and jogged up to Emily taking the letter from her. Derek glared at Casey bitterly.

"Casey." Emily whispered, "I think Derek was just trying to play around with you." He looked at Emily with a curious understanding. Casey turned to him.

"_Playing around! _I don't think so!" She screamed out, her breath still trying to catch up with herself, "He was just trying to make me angry! Like always!" Derek smiled and walked off to the house. Casey took a step forward, contemplating on whether or not it would be wise to continue the fight.

After a few moments Emily turned sternly to her.

"This morning you told me you hated him, right in front of him, and you didn't apologize when there was a window of opportunity. He told me that you didn't let him speak when he was trying to tell you that you could go because he had tickets through Sam, and now you fight with him over something as petty as a letter?" She looked at Casey hard, expecting some sort of retort, but Casey was ashamed once more as soon as she mentioned 'hated'.

"I tried apologizing a few minutes ago, but he didn't accept it, and then he went down to steal my letter! I don't see where _his _logic comes into play! Doesn't he ever _think_?" The sun was starting to sink beneath the horizon. Dinner-time was approaching.

"Just sleep on it tonight Casey and let him sleep on it too. Try talking to him again tomorrow in the morning or after school. It might be bothering him more than you know."

"Em, you don't know him like I do, you don't see-"

"I know I don't know him like you do. But I know that I know a side of him that you don't know." Casey grew confused, and questioned inwardly what she might mean by that. A direct approach would probably prove ineffective because she obviously was secretive about it.

And secrets aren't always your secrets to tell.


	9. Work With Derek!

**Author's Note******Meg you're amazing, and so are my other reviewers who review regularly (okay, ALL of them even if they don't review regularly cause that's perfectly alright) with their thoughts and opinions. I am not sure if I will ever be able to truly express how much it warms my heart to hear what you guys have to say. Writing a story is not always about the author or the content of the story, but also the people who are reading the story and the things that it does in their hearts. Much love to you all!

Also, even while typing/rewriting this chapter, I felt a bit iffy on it. All constructive criticism is welcome! Keep in mind I post on this site to better myself (and of course release my LWD urges concerning the life and times of the characters.)

**Disclaimer******Psh. Like I would ever own LWD. Puh-lease.

After putting the letter back underneath the pink bike she went inside, ignoring a smirking Derek placed in front of the TV on his smelly dingy recliner chair. _Pig._

Casey walked up the stairs, stirring her thoughts into some sort of coherent reason why Emily may have said that she didn't know a side of Derek that Em did. Why wouldn't Casey know all parts to Derek? She lived with him, and she saw it all, heard it all.

Right?

_I mean, if Emily wanted to tell me what she meant she could have right then and there. What could possibly be there, in Derek, other than his self-absorbed tendencies and his over-conceited lust for preppy girls? And not only do these girls fawn over him blindlessly…he thinks he's god's gift to women because of it. Of course I know that he can be a good person at heart right? No one's completely heartless right? The world would just be a sad place if that were true…So maybe Em knows his good side? Since I'm obviously not seeing it?_

Casey remembered to the fight she and Em had earlier that day, before she finally gave in and told Derek to keep the tickets and go with Emily.

"_You told him not to date me? How could you do that?"_

"_Because he was doing that to get under my skin."_

"_Yeah, that's the reason."_

_What does that mean? That's really not the reason I told him not to date her, or that's not really the reason he went on a date with her? _

"Casey! Come down for dinner!" Her mom called up the stairs. Casey collected herself mentally and headed toward the dinner table. Derek, Edwin, and Marti were already seated. Nora and George served the food as Casey sat down. Lizzie could be heard upstairs, flushing the toilet, and soon she was seen walking down the stairs to take her seat next to Casey.

When everyone had gotten the portions they desired a conversation between Nora, George and the children began.

"We need more team work in the house." Nora started.

"Yeah, the chores aren't being shared equally, as the three younger children have pointed out to us, and we aren't getting much support from the older children when it comes to our needs at work." George looked to Derek and Nora looked calmly at Casey. Casey smiled and looked down.

"I don't know why it concerns me as to what you are making a presentation on or to." Derek stated defensively.

"Well, when you are blaring your music so loud that it can be heard clearly in the basement I can't really concentrate on the things I need to get done."

"And when you and Derek fight," Nora said sternly, turning to Casey, "I can't concentrate on the things I really need to be focusing on, and I know I am the parent but I expect this out of the younger kids. Not you and Derek." Casey swallowed a chunk of mashed potato.

"So how do you propose we stop fighting?" Casey inquired rather dramatically.

"And how do you expect me to tune out everyone else if I can't make it that loud?" Derek interjected at the end of Casey's sentence, obviously frustrated.

"Well, for mine and Nora's sanity, we are going to stay at a hotel to catch up on work. Derek, you can buy headphones with your current income. You and Casey will have to work together to clean this house and take care of the kids." George said kindly, though Casey didn't really like the idea of working with Derek.

"So me and Casey will have to do all the cleaning, together?" Nora smiled at Derek.

"No. You won't have to do Edwin, Lizzie, or Marti's room. They can do their rooms by their selves." Edwin burped loudly and slapped Derek a high five on its _'quality'. _Marti crossed her arms and pouted. She had just gotten out of the baby-toddler phase and was becoming a kid, which meant: Cleaning Your Room.

Edwin smiled at a distraught Derek, because even though Derek was a rebel, all of the inhabitants of the house knew he couldn't get around the law lain down by the parentals. Derek's face lit up, and he smirked.

"And don't think we don't know a way around your lies Derek." George added, "Because we were just about to add in the part where Edwin, Lizzie and Marti are going to report to us if you are actually doing each room _together._"

"Ew! Even the bathroom!" Casey yelped out after a hard swallow of meat. Derek laughed in Casey's direction. Nora smiled deviously and nodded a solid 'yes' to her. She let out a low breathy sigh, thoroughly defeated.

"This is going to be fun!" Marti let out in a squeaky giggle.

"You bet it's going to be fun! Telling on my brother Derek with the parents protecting me from him. It all equals _bliss_." Edwin said dreamily. Lizzie looked up at Casey, smiled, and then looked back down.

It was the first time that night she realized how silent Lizzie was being. Edwin hadn't talked much, but at least he seemed cheery, with his burping and all. Casey resolved to speak to her once dinner was through.

"Are we doing this tomorrow?" Derek asked, still frustrated. Casey too was growing frustrated. Part of it was because Derek was in the vicinity, and the other part was due to the fact that she didn't want to have to work with him. She'd end up saying something she didn't mean, because he pushed her over the edge because he was apparently playing around, and instead of accepting an apology he would piss her off even more, for his own mysterious reasons.

"No. Heavens no." Nora said, laughing light-heartedly.

"We are leaving this entire weekend, so you can't do anything outside of the house, unless everyone goes as a family." Derek and Casey's mouth dropped, and in unison they objected.

"But I have tickets to Coldspray!" Nora and George looked at each other, and the younger three children continued eating. George looked at both Casey and Derek.

"Sorry guys, you can't go. You have to do this, no if's and's or but's." Derek looked at his plate and continued eating. Lizzie got up from the table and went to the kitchen with her plate. Casey was almost finished with her food, and decided to get up as well. Nora put her forehead in her hands, and the rest continued a conversation as Lizzie and Casey started up their own.


	10. Misjudgments

**Author's Note******I am terribly sorry for the incredibly long wait! It is definitely not like me to not post chapters. In fact I have dedicated some time on the side to try and finish this up but I don't really type too quickly. (A typing class might help that.) The reason I haven't been posting chapters is because I set a weekend aside for vacation, and then the weekend after that my sister and I went with our mom to visit colleges and we were all focused trying to decide the right college for us. Because I have quite the few AP classes and I am not used to so much homework and studying I was desperately trying to keep up with school work which is a challenge I have never really faced. So I am back! And hopefully no one hates me for the terribly long wait. In case anyone has forgotten, last chapter was about Casey contemplating what Emily meant by "I know a side of him that you don't know". Then dinner begins and Nora and George inform the kids that they will be gone over the weekend and Derek and Casey will be forced to work together and clean the house. Also they aren't allowed to leave the house unless they all go as a family. Lizzie is distraught about something and walks into the kitchen: that is where I will resume this now. Thanks for reading! .

**Disclaimer**Buddy buddy. Where have my buddies gone? MY tummy tummy. Is hungry for the rights to Life with Derek. and I have no Money money. So I guess I'll never own it own it. TOURETTS! AHAHAHAH. -Cough-.

"Hey kiddo, what's wrong?" Casey said low and serenely so as not to worry Nora, still at the dinner table, but still express her concern for her sister. Lizzie let out a slow breathy sigh.

"Nothing really, just…That thing with Jamie. I talked to him and his brothers about it…" Lizzie turned on the faucet and started washing her plate off. Casey smiled at the fact she had took her advice.

"And what happened?" Lizzie started rinsing the plate of the soap.

"Jamie was automatically alright with me playing with him and his brothers. He suggested that we go talk to his brothers about it. So we did." She reached over and dried the plate, set it in the cupboard, and then held out her hand signaling for Casey to hand her plate over. Casey gave it to her and smiled.

"Thanks! Go on…" Lizzie continued as she washed Casey's plate.

"Well, we all went outside to play soccer and they placed me and Jordan, Jamie's younger brother who is the worst player out of them, on a team against Jamie and all his older brothers. Throughout the _entire _game they were all terribly mean to me and Jordan! The moment they scored a goal they scored another goal! Jamie was trying to be polite; I mean he still acted like it was just a game. After the game his brothers told me that I was obviously not fit to play sports because I'm a girl."

"What did Jamie say?" At this point Lizzie was starting to tear up and the plate was just hanging beneath running water helplessly. Casey's arm was instinctually placed around her little sister's shoulder for comfort.

"I don't know. I jumped his fence and jogged my way home. I was so humiliated." Casey raised her eyebrows.

"You ran home? How far away do they live?" Lizzie resumed washing the plate and wiped her eyes with her shoulder.

"Not too far. They only live a couple of streets over." Casey was about to say something sisterly and comforting, and almost as though Lizzie suspected it she spoke before her sister could. "I'm going to go to bed now. Hopefully I will just sleep on it and it will be okay in the morning. I like Jamie…But." Casey smiled. She knew what Lizzie meant. _You may like someone a whole lot, but that doesn't mean they are the good person you thought they were._

As soon as Casey thought this she thought of Derek. Suddenly the words scrambled in her head. _You may hate someone a whole lot, but that doesn't mean they are the bad person you thought they were._ Lizzie left the room, and now Casey began once again to contemplate the whole thing with Emily and Derek. Her organized mind formed a list automatically:

_-Why would it bother Derek that I said I hated him?_

_-Why would it bother Emily since she already knows I practically do?_

_-Why did Derek even bother to make sure that both He and I had tickets? He couldn't just accept mine. Not selfish?_

_-Why would Emily be mad that I wouldn't let him talk to me? Obviously they are talking like friends otherwise she wouldn't have known that. But she said that they didn't talk or hang out or even act like friends._

_-Why would Derek have been walking to Emily's house after taking my letter?_

_-Why would Emily say that she knew a side I didn't?_

_-And even at dinner…he was only worried about having to do chores, not the fact that he would have to work with me…but then again he does get a chance to torture me like usual. _

_-I don't want to even think what I am about to think but…_

_-There are secrets going on. _

…_And…_

_-Does 'No Name' have something to do with this secret?_

Derek walked in the kitchen mid-burp, and Casey snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at him suspiciously and cautiously as though he might have just figured out how to read minds. He looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows. After a few moments of staring at each other wondering what they were up to or thinking of, Casey left the kitchen to go to her bedroom.

The door closed behind her and beneath her feet was a letter reading "Casey".

"No Name…" She whispered to herself, "He writes pretty fast. Mom must have put this under my door when she checked the mail for bills after dinner". At the moment she had forgotten what she had written and what she was mad about. Her fingers opened the flap of the envelope and she pulled out the letter.

_Casey, _

_Casey, Casey, Casey. You misjudge me. I didn't mean for you to get your panties in a bunch. I was just asking about your past, because I wanted to know more about you and the whole 'opinion thing' was me just trying to get you to tell me why you are the way you are. I ask you, not to make you angry, but to get you to tell me what you're all about. You are so open about your opinions but you haven't told anyone where it comes from or why you feel that way. You say Derek is your challenge? Sounds like the 'ultimate challenge' if he is like you say he is. He makes you see things you didn't see before, but you still don't like him? Why is that? How bad is he at home? Do you fight with him every night?..._

The rest of that paragraph was a bunch of questions concerning her thoughts, opinions and feelings when it came to Derek. Casey's arms fell to the side, her right hand still gripping onto the letter. _Why is he so interested in Derek and what I think of Derek? _She continued reading as she sat herself on the foot of her bed. Instead of continuing with the first paragraph she moved onto the second.

_I would like to share more about me with you. I have a problem. This weekend I won't be able to do something I really wanted to do! I was going to go to do some things with friends but I have to take care of the house because my family is going out of town and I didn't want to go. They said that I couldn't do anything outside of the house and I can't throw a party either because they didn't trust me. And I'll be honest; I've done bad things before. It's fun. (Something that's always interested me about you is that you are so good. It'd be fun to see you do something bad.) What would you do? I'm thinking of leaving the house and doing my duties before they get back. What I have planned is kind of a one-time thing. Not exactly, but something like it. Would you leave, despite morals and what you know is right, or would you stay and miss something that you had planned for a while and it magically fit in some random happening. Well almost…_

_Respond A.S.A.P. I will be coming by night so you don't see me, but don't think it too stalker-ish of me. I just don't want you to know yet and I saw that whole thing with Derek. I would have gotten the letter before he did if you weren't watching…_

_Put it in the crook of the tree. _

_No Name. _

Casey set it beside her, contemplating what he meant about some random happening…But almost a random happening? More secrets to ponder on. Her life was starting to be consumed by secrets. She tried to worry about something else like Lizzie's problem with Jamie and his sexist brothers or how she wasn't going to see Coldspray but nothing seemed to be working because it all looped back together into a mysterious tangle of yarn.

So she decided to respond A.S.A.P.


	11. As The Mysteries Pile

**Author's note******I just found out my sister hasn't even read this yet. Well, if she ever gets around to it I hope she reads this author's note and knows to bite my shiny fleshy booty. (HAHA Futurama reference.) Enjoy this chapter, and as always, I accept all reviews! Again. Not Demily. Just in case you are worried. They are but a growing friendship.

**Disclaimer** Do I own it? -holds ear to the crowd; crowd responds- NO YOU DON"T. YAY! Party at my house! Only Micheal Seater and any twins or clones he may have invited!

Casey sat at the computer, moved the keyboard and started writing back to him. She wished that she could call him something other than 'No Name'. It made him sound ominous, not mysterious, and mystery is probably what he was going for in the first place. Her heart thumped a little at the prospect of writing back to him. The anger she had before was forgotten and in its place an acceptance was placed in. He must have had to deal with miscommunication before.

_Dear No Name, _

_I guess I can answer your question that I think I refused. I can't really remember words when I get too angry. You asked if I had boyfriends. One. He lived next door but it was kind of awkward because my cousin Vicky had already gone out with him. I still went out with him when he asked, but it didn't last long. I was used to Vicky ruining things like that for me. I used to utterly despise her, but when her mom got married to my new uncle Harry we made up. Actually I have Derek to thank for that. _

_I've always been opinionated and I am not sure where they come from. Sometimes they are spur-of-the-moment opinions. It's really strange actually. Funny thing is, this would be the first time I ever admitted I did something on a whim. A lot of my opinions are on whim. The rest are probably my opinions of people in general, which I have developed from experiences. It's hard to break those opinions and usually they are either negative or positive. An ex once told me that there is always a gray area and that I need to look for it more often instead of being so extreme. He was too easy-going for me I guess. I don't know if I could ever be easy-going. I tried it once due to the advice of my counselor Paul, but it didn't work and I had a break down. _

_I don't know if I should be telling you that though. _

_You know, it's so much easier to write all this out than it is to say it. And there isn't that face-to-face awkwardness that I would probably have. Normally I wouldn't have told this to anyone. So, don't go spreading my secrets. Heh…_

Casey tapped her pencil. She glanced over the letter to make sure she didn't miss anything concerning his questions or statements he made that she wanted to respond to. _Of course Casey! He wanted your advice!_ She smiled. Casey, of course, loved giving her advice.

_I would say it depends. You say that it's __almost__ a once in a life time thing, but not really? You have to be more specific, or are you afraid to say it? I would probably tell you to just do as your parents say, but like I said it depends. If it was a 'once in a lifetime' thing for me, and it was that important to me, I'd probably go for it. It's kind of funny though, because my mom and step-dad are leaving this weekend. Not alone. Me and Derek will have to clean the house together, each room together, to teach us a lesson about teamwork. It will probably fail like lots of other things they tried in the past. I bet they are hoping we would just be friends out of no where to solve all of the tension in the household from our fights. I must admit, I grow tired of waiting for the next fight. _

_Speaking of Derek: Why are you so interested in my opinions, thoughts and feelings on him? _

_Wow this turned into a really long letter. On that note, I will leave it for you and I promise not to spy. Sorry about that. I was just getting so anxious and impatient. It's in my nature. _

Casey smiled weakly as she wrote.

_Waiting for your answer like always, _

_Casey_

She set the pen down and realized that the bracelet Edwin had found and given to her was still on her wrist. It was crawling under her skin again. Was it from an old boyfriend? Was it really hers and she just forgot? Or was it from something else.

"Just another mystery." Casey mumbled cursedly under her breath.

Quickly brushing it off, she folded the letter in three and searched her room for an envelope. When none appeared to her, she headed to the living room where there was sure to be one because it was where Nora and George did the bills.

She put the letter into the envelope and sealed it. Casey put 'No Name' on the front for the first time and walked out the door. Derek was walking down Emily's driveway, obviously leaving Emily's house. He looked at her from across the lawn and looked back down. Casey decided to ignore him and walked up to the tree. She searched around and found the familiar hole in the tree, which she assumed was the crook of the tree, and set it gently in its place.

Derek watched her from the sidewalk.

"Can I help you?" She asked without looking at him.

"What are you doing to the tree?" Casey sighed, letting it blow over. She was in a good mood and he wasn't going to ruin it. Plus his curiosity and getting in other people's business was easier to deal with than his pranks. Surprisingly, he hadn't pranked her in a good week and she just now realized it.

"I'm leaving a letter for 'No Name'." Derek raised his eyebrows and she turned to him, crossing her arms.

"No Name?" Casey nodded. "Again? You guys talk like crazy. You must like him." Casey rolled her eyes.

"I don't know him that well. I like that he…I don't know. I feel a slight attraction, but I don't even know what he's like in person, I don't know that much about him and I don't know what he looks like. I'm not one for mysteries. My sister has always been into mystery though. The idea of a secret admirer probably excites her." Derek nodded his head and walked through the grass up to the tree. "Don't you take it either!" He smirked at her.

"I'm not going to take it. I thought I was going to have a conversation." Casey uncrossed her arms and then crossed them a different way absentmindedly.

"About what?"

"About No Name obviously. If you don't like mystery, why are you still talking to this guy? What's in it for you?"

"I don't really think about what's in it for me."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying!" Derek propped himself against the tree. Casey looked away. His facial expression was creeping under her skin. It made her so upset when he could do that with just a glance. It forced her to boil. So to avoid it _just look away._

"You want to know who he is. If you don't know it will bug you. I know it will." She gave a quick glare and again looked away. "You are so predictable."

"Maybe there are things that are unpredictable about me that you just haven't seen yet." Derek let out a short laugh.

"I'm sure of it." Casey looked at him hard. He gave another smirk and walked in the house. She looked at Emily's house and wondered if she and Emily were still friends. She was obviously upset with Casey…maybe Emily and Derek were getting closer. Casey hadn't given it much thought, but maybe Derek was starting to like Emily. It wouldn't be terribly bad if they hooked up. He would probably be out of the house a lot.

_And then again they would break up, in like, twenty-one days._

After a moments' thought, she headed in the house, up the stairs, and in her room to do homework and sleep on this brain-twisting situation she was being thrown into. She had a feeling it wasn't the beginning.


	12. Sweeter and Sweeter

**Author's Note**I had so many different names I wanted to make this chapter. Sweeter and Sweeter, Logically Speaking..., The Worries of Casey, Morning of Day Two-sday (Inside joke), The Big Part of Your Life. They were just too complicated. I went with Sweeter and Sweeter but if you guys want to have fun and vote on the title go for it. I think that'd be fun (Even though I don't think this chapter is too important. Kind of a filler kind of not.) Enjoy it all the same! I send love out to you all!

**Disclaimer**We've been over this Sunny. I am not Coocoo for cocoa puffs. I am Coocoo for Hot Micheal Seater (Which is his full name by the way). I don't own Jack. Or ...Micheal. or...-whispers- Life with Derek.

Casey awoke to her alarm clock and headed off to the bathroom for the morning routine. No one was in the bathroom surprisingly. Hopefully today would go better for her today than yesterday. As she brushed her teeth she pondered what she had been thinking on even in her dreams.

_I was walking into every classroom in my dream searching frantically for No Name. Just as I thought I found him, Derek got in my way, smirking that little smirk that he did constantly to every girl he…_

Casey's stomach did a perfectly vertical flip. She shook herself, knowing that what she almost thought was completely illogical, and so wrong that even Derek knew that.

Logically speaking of course.

And she prided herself on her logic.

Because everything was supposed to be logical…_Right?_

Lizzie walked into the bathroom and started to brush her teeth. Between brushing and spitting she picked up a conversation with Casey.

"So, you said you were going to keep me posted on your secret admirer. What do you know so far? Anything that may lead you to who it is?"

"Umm. I am not really sure as to who it may be, but it's fun learning more about him. I had kind of a blow up on him the other day because he asked something about me being opinionated. I was already flustered from Derek's usual antics so I-"Derek walked in and Casey started brushing. She didn't want him to hear. He nudged between Lizzie and Casey, and Lizzie got mad at him.

"Hey!" She yelled out at him, toothpaste spurting out a bit.

"Now, now Liz…shared space. Right Casey?" He turned to Casey and smirked; the corners of her lips turned upwards but she left the room before she accomplished the smile.

Edwin ran into her, and Casey stormed passed him before he wondered why she seemed frantic.

The rest of the morning she avoided Derek, and everyone for that matter, and headed over to Emily's early. They needed to talk. Well…Casey needed to talk.

She knocked softly on the door, hoping not to disturb any at rest, besides Emily, who was usually up by this hour anyways. Finally the door opened and Casey attempted a worry-free smile, but it didn't work. Emily crossed her arms because she was obviously cold, and then let out a long yawn.

"Yes Casey?" Emily said at the front door, looking a little stern with hints of sleep spanning cross her face.

"Can I come in and talk to you about yesterday?" Emily sighed and signaled that she may enter. With an air of cautiousness, Casey entered the household and sat on the love seat that had its back to the window. Emily sat comfortably in the chair diagonal from her.

"So…what is it?"

"It's lots of things Em. I'm worried about things, like our friendship and this 'No Name' business has got me going nuts because I'm so anxious to figure it all out, and the thing with you Derek and the Coldspray tickets. I don't hate Derek; I just hate what he does sometimes. Why does he have to be like that? I'm so sorry that I told him not to date you! I never said that you guys shouldn't be friends. I just didn't want him to hurt you…Paul said I shouldn't always do that…and something else that was along the lines of people needing to make their own mistakes. And-"Emily cut off her long-winded speech. Casey breathed in some air.

"Casey it's okay, okay? Me and Derek are cool now. He came over yesterday to talk with me, and he says he's going to make sure we chill every day, or at least try to you know? Plus we are all going to that Coldspray concert together right? It'll be great! Maybe you guys can stop being so cruel to each other," Casey opened her mouth to protest that she wasn't mean but Emily silenced her with a motherly type look, "And actually be something like friends."

"I don't know about that because…Me and Derek have to baby-sit and clean the house to build our relationship so we don't fight as much. We aren't allowed to leave the house or do anything unless we do it as a family. We were told this at dinner." Emily frowned.

"Derek didn't mention that." Casey shrugged her shoulders.

"You know, after he left your house he came up to me and we had a somewhat decent conversation about 'No Name'. It was weird. I got the feeling that he knows who it is, but I'm not sure." Emily looked at the door uncomfortably, and shifted in her seat. Casey didn't pay any notice and continued. "I can't wait to find out who it is though. If you ever see someone foreign to my household walking up in my yard taking the letters and you recognize them you'll tell me who it is right?" Emily nodded her head.

"We should get going to the bus-stop." Casey let out a laugh.

"Em. It's okay; we don't usually leave for another ten minutes."

"Well, I asked Derek to come over in the morning and if you don't want to be around him like you say you don't, maybe you should leave." She rolled her eyes at Em. Why was she so eager to get Casey out of the house?

"Alright. Does that mean he's walking with you to the bus-stop?"

"No. He's just coming over for a chat. I'm still walking with you like usual." Casey nodded her head and left. Sure enough, there was Derek walking down the sidewalk in the direction of Emily's house.

Casey walked past him without a word.

There was no letter in the letter box, nor was there a letter waiting in her room, and when she asked her mom she responded with a quick "You don't get mail." response. Confusion turned her over inside her mind.

So instead of staying at home she went to the bus-stop five minutes early, letting Emily and Derek walk their together. Suddenly she was feeling detached from her best and –only- friend.

The rest of the day had no excitement other than another letter falling out of her locker.

_Casey, _

_I'm glad you're finally feeling more comfortable with this. I can relate to the whole writing it down thing. If I were to confront you face to face you probably wouldn't take me seriously. I don't tell my secrets, so why would I tell yours? _

_Thanks for your advice, and I think I'll go with leaving the house. If I don't do it, I may never do it and that wouldn't be any fun. Something I've known for the longest time is that you aren't living unless you are having fun. All work and no fun don't make a happy son, and all play and no work make your parents go berserk. I tend to have more of the fun though. Learned that little rhyme from my dad. Couldn't tell you where __he__ got it from though. _

_And about me being interested on your opinions on Derek is because you are obviously full of opinions concerning him. I bet you have had so many occurrences between you two that you couldn't __possibly__ remember them all. Face it; he's a big part of your life. _

_I don't see you being completely easy-going ever, but I can see you working to not be so high-strung. There are gray areas __everywhere__. I believe that the boyfriend you are referring to is Sam, correct? I've spoken with him on that topic before. We used to be good buddies, but when he joined the hockey team, he and Derek became better friends and we just visit occasionally. It's all cool. But yeah…We spoke about the whole gray-area thing._

_And don't worry about how long the letter is. The more that's there, the closer we get, and the closer I get to telling you. _

_This time, place it in the same spot as last time; the crook of the tree._

_The one and only, _

_No Name_

Casey sighed to herself. He was starting to sound sweeter and sweeter by each letter. It was fun to fight, but it was fun to share something with someone else, someone knew. He actually did know a lot about her. They probably met before. It would be too weird if someone she didn't know at all knew all this stuff. _It's definitely someone I know…or someone that knows people who know me well…_


	13. A Good Crazy

**Author's Note******My poor reviewers! I'm so sorry if I am confusing you! It's quite difficult to keep it all a mystery to Casey but not a mystery to you. I'll give you a clue. I love symbolism with a PASSION. I use it ALL the time. I usually have a splash of symbolism in every chapter. This will probably be the first and only time I reveal some of the symbolism of a chapter. In this case the one I am revealing is a sentence. (Usually it's an item, a place, where an item is, etc.) The sentence. "Five minus two." Enjoy the chapter! I love all reviews and thank you for not hating me for not posting in forever.

**Disclaimer **The world is now a mad world because I dont' own LWD. Sufferin' suckatash.

After dinner Casey went to Marti's room to help her with her homework. She was in the first grade and always wanted Casey to help because Casey was the smartest and little Marti desired nothing but the best.

Casey felt proud that Marti wanted her help and not Derek's, since Marti usually turned to Derek for everything. After all they were blood but her and Marti weren't, so there wasn't the instant comfort zone formation.

But this was good.

"So two plus three is four! Right Casey?" She looked eagerly up at Casey. Casey smiled and shook her head no.

"No. Two plus two is four. Two plus three is something higher. Try again." Edwin was watching them from the stairs. It was a clear view. Though Casey couldn't see him watching, the hairs on her back stood up. Derek walked out of Edwin's attic bedroom and sat on the steps watching Casey with him. He smirked.

"It's five isn't it?" Marti held up an open hand, signaling to her five fingers.

"That's right! Good job!" She high-fived her baby step-sister and moved onto the next problem. Derek whispered something to Edwin, and then Edwin got up and walked into Marti's room.

"Casey." Edwin's voice sounded professional. She turned to him, and Marti wrote down the answer they had just solved.

"Yes Edwin?" Derek was blocked out of view of Edwin.

"Do you need that bracelet that I found?" Casey furrowed her eyebrows.

"No, why? Do you?"

"Yeah. I have a project and the string and beads are something I could use to decorate it." Casey let a silence wipe through. He was acting awfully suspicious, but what if he was telling the truth? Did she even need it? Did it matter? These questions, she decided, could be thought on later. She slid the bracelet off and handed it to him. "Thanks." Edwin sighed out. He turned but Marti spoke up to him.

"Hey! Did you make that with my bead kit Casey?" Casey turned to her. Confusion kept growing, and if it kept growing like this she was going to break down.

"No. I didn't." Footsteps were heard going up the attic stairs. Two sets. But when Casey turned back she only saw Edwin's feet going up.

"Oh well. I don't play with that much anymore anyway. It's in the games closet, stored away." Casey again turned back to Marti, attempting to brush not only this incident, but all incidents.

"Okay, Marti, what's number three?" Marti looked up.

"Five minus two."

The rest of the night she helped Marti to do her homework, and was insisted by this munchkin that she also put her to bed. Casey felt important to her for a change.

In bed she tossed and turned, thinking about the day, yesterday, and the weekend. It was taking over her brain and she hadn't decided if it was a good or bad thing yet. Casey felt like she was forgetting something though.

_I mean, Derek seemed nice to me. After we fought…he was calm with me at the tree and…this morning when he smirked at me…and I almost smiled back at him. I mean, I don't like him because he's so incredibly annoying. All he does is start fights with me. Right? Or…am I misjudging…Emily says she sees something I don't…I think I'm more afraid than anything to see what she sees…No Name…Derek could…know who No Name is…right? Why was he going to Em's Monday right after he stole the letter…of all the houses, of all the places, he goes to Em's house acting like I wasn't going to follow. Does he read my letters? He said we talk like crazy…is he paying attention to how many letters I get? What if…he…OH CRAP! I FORGOT TO WRITE BACK!_

Casey let out a squeal and jumped from her bed. She knew she had forgotten something!

She searched about the room in the dark and found a piece of paper. The lamp light was switched on by a hurried left hand and the right hand was already writing away. Hopefully he hadn't come for the letter yet. The clock read 9:42pm.

_Dear No Name, _

_Why wouldn't I take you seriously if I talked to you face to face? You must be someone I know right? If I do know you, how long have I known you? You of course don't have to tell me too much, if you still want to be so secretive about it, but I think I may be figuring out something out. I feel it on the tip of my mind, but it's so confusing. It's like a huge conspiracy going on around me. Too many secrets. Hopefully you feel comfortable enough to tell me soon, because even though it hasn't been that long I feel like it's been forever. I feel closer after only a couple of days. _

_So I DEFINITELY must know you._

_You're welcome for the advice. I hope you don't get in trouble or caught if you do leave the house. And I guess you are right. Derek is a huge part of my life…but I get tired of talking about him sometimes. I wish there were some way I could just stop fighting with him all the time. Fights once in a while are okay…but I wish I could have more today's, and not fight with him at all. It gets…upsetting. Like…really upsetting. Enough about that though. _

_Tell me about your family. You mentioned it once before, but you didn't say much. How about the gray areas of your sister? You believe in finding gray areas I assume, what about the gray areas of your sister? Since I am trying to find gray areas in Derek, you do the same (with your sister I mean). _

_Casey._

She got up, folding the letter as she headed toward the door. Casey headed down the stairs and put it in an envelope. The darkness of the house seemed to be playing tricks on her, making her feel some how out of her body. The doorknob turned by her hand, and her feet walked her to the tree.

Someone was searching inside the trunk already. Casey let out a gasp. The moonlight was shining on his back as he jumped and looked at her. His silhouette looked extremely familiar and as Casey walked towards him to get a clearer view; he started running up the street, too far away to tell who it might be.

A door was heard shutting to the left of her, and Casey turned sharply to see which door. The screen door on Emily's front door was shaking. A whir of feelings shook her: desperation, determination, anxiousness, impatience, and the churning of her stomach of all the confusion she was faced with.

So if Derek knew, Emily knew. Because that must have been Emily closing the door.

And the guy?

Casey wanted to sleep. She wanted to run after No Name. She wanted to go ask Emily what she and Derek were up to. She wanted to wake Derek up, out of his sleep and fight with him. All of this was useless though. It wouldn't bring the solution. Deep down, she knew that she would have to wait this out and continue the confusing correspondence that had proven to have the ability to make her crazy.

Was it a good crazy?

Casey set the letter in the crook of the tree and went into the house. It was when she was about to shut her door that she saw that Derek's was door was open as well.


	14. Slow for the Signs

**Author's Note**So. I have typed up chapters ten-fourteen now, and my hands are so frikken tired. You probably won't read anymore chappies after this for the rest of the day, but that's not a promise. I may type up fifteen later. For now, I shall go eat dinner. Enjoy the chapters! I await your acrimonious reviews. I'm just kidding, I've just been dying to use that word. Qui-Vive? DEREK VENTURI!

**Disclaimer**Me not own vunderfull tee vee show of stwange peoples. Me own only right toe. Me groggy. I sleep. -snoring-

Casey was walking up the street, and the lights were shining in her eyes. There were arrows pointing everywhere, confusing her, making her turn from confusion to insanity. The voice of reason sounded from a rose, a white rose, the very rose given to her by her admirer. It said to her, "Slow down or the signs will not make sense to you." Then the rose pricked her because Casey was not paying attention because Emily and Derek were skipping up the sidewalk with all of her letters. They were stealing them! She ran, and the harder she ran, the further they went away. The scenery can't be on a straight path? Must you take five hundred turns to get to the end? The shortcuts can't be the best part. And once again the rose pricked her, shaking her out of her dream by a loud screeching.

Her hand hit the alarm clock, instantly turning it off. George was standing by her bed. Casey looked up at him, hoping he would just tell her why he was there.

"Yes?" She let out in a mumble, half-stretching, half-yawning.

"I was starting to get worried. Your alarm clock was going off for the past ten minutes. You usually get up without missing a beat." Casey sat up.

"Sorry, I was dreaming. I usually don't have dreams, and I've had two in a row." George nodded his head.

"I usually don't either. Most of the time, if I am dreaming, it's because I am stressed about something…Like work." He let out a short laugh. Casey smiled down and he patted her on the back and left the room, leaving her door open.

She looked out and saw the bathroom door was open. No one appeared to be in there yet. Quickly she got out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom. Her brush was already sitting out. Just to make sure, she sniffed it and then brushed her fingers on the bristles to see if anyone used it. It wasn't wet, and it wasn't smelly. She used it anyways, hoping that her teeth wouldn't turn green, because it would be typical of Derek to do a prank on her of that scale.

But her teeth were fine. She went to her room to go change. There was a knock on her door as she was taking off her shirt.

"I'm changing; I'll be out in a second." There was a sliding of paper against her floor and she looked down. It was another letter reading 'Casey'. She smiled.

"That came in the mail box today Case!" Lizzie said from the other side of her door. So it must have been Lizzie leaving it in her room and not mom. Casey sighed.

"Thanks!"

After changing she sat on her bed and opened it calmly. Her dream had, surprisingly, given her good advice and shook her into a state where she was rather serene about the situation. No anxiousness or impatience; for the moment at least.

_Casey, _

_You wouldn't take me seriously because I am who I am and people usually either like me or don't like me. It's hard to explain it any other way. I've known you since you started at the school. _

_Me and my sister are actually steps…so I'm not too worried. She didn't like me the moment she heard me speak. I guess sometimes my sarcasm is a bit too much, but why wouldn't you try to have fun? I've tried to get her to see, but she doesn't. Even though she is extreme, a gray area for her would definitely be her heart. Sometimes it's good sometimes it's pure evil. Strange thing is, I like that about her. She's not a bad person but she thinks she's near perfect. But I've seen her devious, and it's awesome. _

_Since I told you a gray area about my step, you shoot with yours…if you have found one yet. _

_I would also like to talk to you about last night. You still don't know who I am right? Even though I was right there and…I was scared which is why I ran, I of course came back later to get the letter, but I still don't want you to know yet. You understand. You weren't trying to find me were you? _

_Leave it under the bush by your garage again. _

_No Name._

This time she decided she wouldn't write back until school was over for today. She placed the letter neatly on her nightstand and walked out of her room. As she walked down the stairs, she saw Derek heading up. Casey was waiting for the bump on her shoulder but before they even got close enough a body fell on her back, forcing Casey downward.

Casey fell onto Derek, and Marti was atop her shoulders and back so that her face was shoved onto Derek's chest and neck. Shaking, Casey picked Marti up, set her down, and walked slowly out of the room, not looking at Derek. He didn't make a joke, one more surprise of the morning, and she started to think of the gray area of Derek, with a huge smirk on her face.

Fourth hour came and she sat next to Emily without worry. After a few moments of silence, Emily finally started up a conversation.

"So…Um…Did you hear from No Name?" Casey nodded her head without looking at her. "Well, what did he say?"

"About what?"

"About anything?!" Casey smiled and Emily laughed.

"Well, I saw him yesterday and he's worried I know who he is now."

"Do you know?" Emily asked, highly interested.

"No. But I recognized his silhouette. I must know him or have met him and he says we've met so…I guess I know him." Emily shook her head yes, and made a gesture for her to continue, "We were talking about the gray area in people. He told me about his step sister because they don't get along and her gray area. No Name says to find gray area in Derek."

"Have you?"

"You know, I'm not sure what this gray area is supposed to be like. It will be hard, but if I do, I'll tell you I guess." Emily shook her head. "Unless of course you don't want to hear about it."

"I do! Trust me! I definitely do!" Casey shook her head with a funny expression on her face. She questioned inwardly if it would be an ideal moment to tell her that she saw her door close last night when she had the encounter with No Name. If she did mention it, she may have to face a lie, or worse…the truth.

Casey decided to not say a word.


	15. You Like It?

**Author's Note******I had a thought, and this thought was enticing, so I am running with it. I am not really straying from the already written story; I am merely adding a nice little scene that may provoke the emotions even more than I had previously built up…you know? The poem is supposed to show the readers that she has the same idea that you guys do…she couldn't think it out-right though, so she wrote a poem. It gives a little insight of her feelings towards him when they first met before George and Nora got married. I would also like to mention something about my timelines of thought. Casey's thoughts of a while ago aren't going to be perfectly clear in the poem, but I am almost certain you can get from the poem what I am trying to imply. What she has thought in the past isn't written when I started the story. So. If any are confused, send a message or as in the review and I'll tell you. Or if you find a better way to express it I'm all ears! Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer **I don't own it. (How creative is THAT phrase! -smile-)

Casey rushed to her fourth hour teacher after school was out to ask a few quick questions before getting on the bus.

"Hello, Miss Polanski. I was wondering why you gave me a 92 on my poem." The teacher smiled down at her.

"Because it was a wonderfully written poem on the struggles of the mind versus body." Casey looked down in thought. She needed to hurry or she might miss the bus.

"I mean…why wasn't it higher? Is there a specific reason I didn't get higher than just a 92?" Ms. Polanski sighed and closed her eyes. After a few moments she reopened them and addressed Casey.

"Because your transitions were rough, and it was hard to follow despite the wonderful images and emotions conveyed. Plus you often changed the rhythm but it wasn't free verse. I must say you had brilliant diction and the emotions were described quite thoroughly but to be a 100 you had to have it clearer, it seemed to me you were avoiding the whole point of the poem." Casey nodded her head solemnly.

"Well, thank you for not giving me lower. I'll work on that before I turn in my other two poems." Ms. Polanski nodded and Casey hurriedly rushed herself to the bus.

She was the last person to be on the bus. The seat she sat in with Emily was occupied by a girl who looked much like Casey with long brown, slightly curly hair. She was turned back to speak with the person diagonal from her who Casey could only assume was a friend. This girl's eye kept gazing back at Derek.

Casey walked along the aisle, every seat taken, until she reached the back of the bus where there was only one seat left.

The seat next to Derek.

Casey repeated _'gray area; gray area;' _over and over in her mind. She let out a huge sigh and sat next to Derek. He was arrogantly smirking at her obvious discomfort.

"So, Em tells me you saw 'No Name'. Did he have a double chin and a plastic smile?" Casey dug her elbow into his chest. "Ow." He breathed out. Derek wasn't really hurt, just mildly. "No need to get defensive over your ugly boyfriend."

"Derek. I didn't see him okay. And he's not my boyfriend; he doesn't have enough guts yet." He raised his eyebrows. The bus started up and exited the school.

"He doesn't have enough guts yet? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well…people have told me that I can be…intimidating." Derek snorted.

"Oh really? Intimidating?" Casey sighed out of annoyance.

"Just because you don't find me intimidating doesn't mean he doesn't either. Why else would he be so afraid to tell me how he feels to my face?"

"Not sure." There was a short silence. The last seat was always short than the rest of the seats and she wasn't sure why. This meant Casey was sitting closer to Derek than she would have if he were alone in another seat. "You know, what if your admirer turned out to be someone you didn't find attractive, would you still like him?"

"Derek, I'm not shallow like you." She commented with a glare.

"What if he turned out to be someone that you didn't expect to have the slightest attraction to you?"

"I would be surprised. Duh." Derek smiled.

"What if he turned out to be a girl?"

"Like I said before, I would let her down gently."

"What if he turned out to be m-" The bus turned sharply, jerking Casey almost completely out of the seat. Her things fell on the floor, papers scattering, her essays and poetry flying in the open.

Derek laughed hard, and the person in front of her starting picking up her papers for her. Casey put her face in her hands, not bothering with the mess. She felt Derek bend down, still laughing, to pick up a poem. He had happened upon the poem that she had gotten a 92 on. Derek cleared his voice.

She realized that he was about to read it to the bus, and most of her poems were written strictly for herself and for her eyes only, of course in this case it was for a class, but to her it was still awfully private. Casey reached outward, but he blocked her and started blaring out the poem to a listening audience.

"_My fear was seen through to his heart the moment I saw a ring_

_The cutest face, sweetest smile, and the weakness his touch may bring_

_A dream so lucid and morbid a fantasy, I realized that he seen it too_

_With one quick glare the field was set to play a painful tango of two."_

Derek slowly got quieter as he read the poem.

"_Through the door I hear his breathing, he softly calls my name_

_Across the table he grins at me, tempting me to play his game_

_From the steps I see him peering up out of the corner of his eye_

_At a girl much like me, my realizations must be lies."_

His voice was down to a whisper and Casey was twisting her fingers hoping that he just wouldn't get it and see through her. The audience was now uninterested because he had become nearly silent and Casey was frozen still.

"_For some reason I cry at night, the moon taunting me with its smile_

_Not because of the boundaries, or the people, and all the while_

_I think of the pain and torture that has yet to be inflicted_

_Shall I toss my heart into a puddle of him, as my dream predicted?"_

Derek looked up at Casey and continued with the last stanza.

"_My body will race towards all its desires of life, lust, and love_

_While my mind rests helpless to all the plights too useless and too null_

_My body has chosen to be true to its heart that beats much too strongly_

_While my mind dies with the harsh reminder of logic, screaming internally."_

He handed the paper back to Casey and smiled.

"What on earth inspired you to write that?" She looked away from him. No eyes were on her. They were all faced forward to the front of the bus. They all wanted to be home. They all wanted to go home. And Casey. Casey wanted to go back to school. She wanted to erase anything. Everything. Casey didn't want to think what she thought she thought may be true about Derek and No Name, because it was _illogical_, but it was quite possible. _Isn't it?_

"Why does it matter?" Derek was silent for a moment.

"Because I like it." He said as low as possible. Casey looked at him and he turned away. _Is he embarrassed? About liking poem? _


	16. Ludicrous

**Author's Note******I had the time to write up this chapter. I changed a few things because last chapter strayed a bit from my rough draft, but I hope you guys like this chapter too!

**Disclaimer******I own nothing…unfortunately…but one day…I shall…you wait and see you non-believers! SHUN THE NON-BELIEVERS

The bus turned down their street finally and Casey ran to the front of the bus before anyone had a chance to get up. She let Emily go in front of her and followed behind. She needed to talk to her. Casey needed to tell Emily her worries because Emily would be able to tell her that it was as illogical as she had already thought…it just might feel better for someone to say it to her.

In silence they walked to Em's house, and Derek trailed behind to his home. Casey turned her back to him and pretended he wasn't there.

Once in Emily's house she yelled out, "This is LUDICROUS!" Emily's face lit up with mild terror and put both hands on Casey's shoulder for comfort.

"What's ludicrous Casey?"

"This 'No Name' stuff! I think I might know who it is, but it's illogical! But then again it makes sense, and all the while I have to think of one person because one guy says so, but when I see Derek I see someone else sometimes, it's like he's two people even though he isn't…I can't dream straight, I never know what's going on anymore, I can't think correctly anymore, and who gives _him _the right to make me crazy?!" Emily was looking earnestly into Casey's eyes as she rambled on and on. Eventually Casey couldn't even realize what she was saying.

"Casey. Calm down." Emily took in a deep breath and Casey mimicked. "Who gives who the right to make you crazy?" Casey sat down. _Who? No Name. Derek. DEREK AND NO NAME!_

"BOTH OF THEM!" Emily made a 'shh' noise. "Sorry…both of them. Derek and No Name. They both are driving me crazy."

"Casey. It hasn't even been a week and already you are freaking out." She crossed her arms at Emily. "Calm down okay. Accept that you won't find out who it is until he presents himself to you. Don't you think this is terribly sweet of him?" Casey looked out the window.

Is this sweet? A good crazy? A sweet madness? An honest guy who knows how to push her buttons and put her 'panties in a bunch'. Was it all la-di-da? The irony of it all was that Casey was a romantic, yet when romance came her way in the form of a love-letter she drove herself crazy about it.

"It's really really sweet. But…mystery isn't my thing. Why do you think I strive to know everything? Because if I don't know…then I feel insecure…I feel lost…and I haven't felt this lost and insecure in a long time."

"Are you sure about that?" Casey looked out the window again. She had to respond to 'No Name'.

"Yeah. Look, thanks for calming me down, but I have to go, sorry to cut it short." Emily made a gesture.

"It's alright Casey. Derek's coming over to hang out with me today anyway." Casey's eyebrows scrunched and her heart felt heavy.

"Why? Why are you guys hanging out all the time now?"

"It's only been a couple of days."

"Well, just last week you guys didn't even talk and all of a sudden you guys see each other everyday. What's going on?"

"He's fun to hang out with, and apparently I am fun to hang out with also. Plus, I'm helping him out with his... Homework." Emily smiled and Casey gave her a disbelieving glance. They then said thier good byes.

Casey walked in her house and went quickly up the stairs. She was pushing her fears further into the back of her mind to focus on what Derek's gray area must be. As she looked over his last letter she was struck by a few sentences.

"_Me and my sister are actually steps…she thinks she's near perfect…her gray area is her heart…"_

"Derek's gray area…Is his heart? Sometimes its pure evil, but I've seen it good…and I like that…Right?

"_Even though she is extreme, a gray area for her would definitely be her heart. Sometimes it's good sometimes it's pure evil. Strange thing is, I like that about her."_

"Strange…Strange thing is…I actually do like that about Derek. What fun would living here be? I would have nothing to do but wallow in loneliness because all my friends are back where I used to live, I never see my dad and my only friend here is Emily…Even though he's…a jerk…he keeps me company…he keeps my opinions on alert…my mind is ready for anything when I'm around him…"

_Dear No Name, _

_Actually I have found a gray area for Derek. It's much like the gray area for your step-sister except backwards. Derek is extremely annoying, yet extremely…funny. His gray area is the core of his personality…His heart. Sometimes its' pure evil…but sometimes it's good and sweet…The worst part about it…is that I like that about him. _

Casey's heart felt weighed down by a large hand. It was telling her something through this confusing pain, and it was a shame she hadn't learned sign language. She glanced over to the window. Outside was the tree that she had placed the letter in two times in a row. The first time she had an encounter with Derek and the second time she had an encounter with No Name. It was all circumstantial. None of it made sense, but her heart was telling her that it did make sense.

Everything makes sense. Nothing can't make sense. It's not possible. You're forgetting a variable; the answer is there it's just out of reach. You'll reach it.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Casey returned to writing the letter.

_I don't know who you are, but I hope I know soon. I recognized your silhouette but didn't have time to figure it out. _

_I guess you telling me how we met would be out of the question. _

_I'm sorry you think I wouldn't take you seriously. I bet I would now. I like you. I'm not going to lie; I think this is a terribly sweet way to get to know me. It's frustrating, but incredibly sweet. You must be a good guy to want to take precautions and make sure it's perfect. Sorry that I doubted all of this before…if you could tell I was. _

_Waiting to REALLY know you, _

_Casey._

Casey glanced back at his last letter to her to know where to put it. She sighed, stuck it in an envelope and headed down the stairs. Derek was about to walk out when he saw her at the steps. He looked long and hard at her, contemplating.

"What?" She asked coolly, not wanting to talk about the poem he had blurted out on the bus.

"Sorry about earlier…what's that?" He pointed to Casey's envelope.

"A letter to No Name." Derek said nothing and walked out of the house. Casey rolled her eyes, but was glad that he mentioned nothing of the poem. He was acting a tad strange though, and it bothered her. Did he understand what she was talking about in the poem?

Casey set the letter beneath the bush by her garage.

Upon re-entering her house Lizzie walked up to her with a worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong Liz?"

"Can we go to your room and talk?" Casey smiled and nodded her head. They went to Casey's room and Lizzie shut the door.

"Spill Kiddo." Lizzie let out a sigh and sat down beside Casey.

"I think Edwin knows something." She furrowed her brows at Liz, intrigued.

"About?"

"About No Name. I think he saw him. But when I asked what he meant by 'seeing the mysterious No Name at our house' he wouldn't tell me a thing and ran to his room."

"Well, I saw No Name outside our house when I was taking on of the letters to the tree so maybe he saw him too." Lizzie nodded but didn't like Casey's theory.

"He wasn't talking to me about it." Casey gave Lizzie a confused look.

"Well who was he talking to then?"

"Derek."


	17. The Guilty Looks of a Conspiracy

**Author's Note******This is the last chapter I have time to write for tonight, so hopefully tomorrow! But I may be preoccupied with studying for the ACT and Saturday I will be taking the ACT so wish me luck on it! (As we get closer and closer to the end of the mystery the weekend is approaching. Tomorrow shall be Friday, the day Nora and George leave. Saturday is the Coldspray concert that Casey CAN'T go to. Want to know what happens at the end? Well the end will be coming rather quickly ma dears! in about five more chapters.)

**Disclaimer******The world is turning upside down, my smile is now a frown, topsy turvy buttheads flying…and I can't understand why I don't own LWD or Micheal Seater!

"Derek? He was talking to Derek?" Casey questioned in astonishment. She could feel her fear resurfacing and nothing to distract her. Something new was with the fear though. It was heavy, but a splendid yet twisted heavy. Casey stood up. "I've got to go to Emily's house. Thanks for telling me this. You like mysteries too much, but your love of mystery is helping me right now." Lizzie smiled adoringly at her big sister.

Casey left her room and walked quickly down the stairs and out of the house. She heard Nora say something after her, but she didn't care to act like she heard. Without walking on the side walk she went up to Emily's door and knocked hard.

She wasn't mad, she wasn't happy; she was feeling sure of herself. Sure of her thoughts and positive that Derek would know now. It was no longer a curious and inquisitive thought.

"Hey Casey!" Emily smiled.

"Is Derek still here?" Casey peered behind Emily before she had the chance to answer and saw him smirking at her from the love-seat. "I need to talk to you."

"Me?" Emily asked.

"Oh. No, sorry, I need to talk to Derek." Emily moved out of the door way.

"You can come in if you don't mind me being here for it."

"I don't mind." Casey said softly as she walked in. Emily immediately sat in the chair across from the love-seat leaving the only spot to sit in next to Derek. She was starting to feel awkward. "Do you…mind if I sit there Emily?" Derek rolled his eyes at Casey and Emily laughed. She got up and sat next to Derek so Casey sat across from them.

"What do you want to talk to me for?" He asked sarcastically. Emily looked back and forth between them, observing their behavior just as she had done with so many other people at school.

"I've received some interesting information from a source concerning No Name." Derek shifted and his face changed suddenly to that of discontentment. He was probably thinking Edwin, but she didn't want to tell him it was Lizzie.

"What information?" He asked as calmly as possible.

"I've learned that someone in the house knows who 'No Name' is. I know for a _fact _it's you." Emily jumped up.

"Casey, Derek isn't 'No Name." Casey turned to Emily.

"That's not what I said." Derek and Emily both looked guilty. She felt their guilt spill onto her. Again, she was confused…but not really…not this time. _Let them lie._

"Casey, I don't know who 'No Name' is. If I did, I wouldn't tell you anyway." She smiled heartily at Derek's comment.

"Of course you wouldn't." Her words sounded bitter, even to herself. "I'll be watching you Derek. I know you know, and you can lie, and you can cheat, but I will find out sooner or later. Okay?" She was positive that they would tell her, but it was a foolish thought to think on. They wouldn't say a word, but their guilty faces told her more than she had anticipated in learning.

They were in on it. 'No Name', Derek and Emily were all in on it.

"Casey you know if I knew anything that I would tell you or have a _really _good reason for not telling you, right!" Casey hard face softened. Emily would tell her or have a good reason not to. Derek was smirking. She ignored him, and turned her attention to Emily.

"I know Em. I know I can trust _you._"

"Okay, Princess, you trust Emily, you trust 'No Name', a total stranger, but you don't trust me. I'm like family."

"_Like _family. You haven't given me a reason to trust you yet. Emily and 'No Name' have." Derek scoffed.

"What about a gray area?" Emily asked Casey, "Did you find a gray area?" Derek yawned and stood up, stretching.

"I'm going to go jam at my house. You don't mind me leaving do you?" Emily smiled girlishly and shook her head 'no'. He left without looking at Casey.

"So…Did you?"

"Find a gray area? Yeah…but I don't know if I want to say it. I don't know if I like how it sounds. You might think I'm a freak."

"Casey...I'm sure it's not as bad as you are thinking it is." Casey sighed and after a few moments of silence she answered.

"I told 'No Name' that Derek's gray area was his heart. He was annoying, yet funny, pure evil, yet…good." She refused to say that she liked that about Derek. If Emily thought the wrong thing, she didn't want to be stuck with a harpoon to the chest full of questions she was already asking herself.

"Well, at least you came up with that. Do you really believe it though? Or were you just saying that to have something to say?"

"Well…I meant it. Derek can be really funny, but is annoying when he is doing mean things to me and to other people. You can be funny, but not hurtful. I wish he would see that." Emily coughed hard, and Casey could hear a build up of mucus in her friend's throat.

"Are you okay?" Casey asked, standing up and rubbing Em's back in a motherly way.

"Yeah…I'm just coming down with a cold." She sat next to Em in the love seat where Derek had sat. "You know Casey," Emily started when she had caught her breath, "we all have mistakes and things we don't see about ourselves."

"Yeah…I know…" Casey thought about herself. She hadn't ever given the thought to the hurt she may cause on others by her stubborn attitude and prideful spirit that always wanted her to drive her own opinions down other peoples' throats. Casey had a 'suffocating' personality. She filled the room when she was in it, and she clouded the mind when she spoke. Sometimes she even drove herself insane. "Do you think I am crazy?"

"No. I just think you are high-strung." Casey's memory clicked with an earlier letter from 'No Name'.

"_I don't see you being completely easy-going ever, but I can see you working to not be so high-strung."_

"I really must be. 'No Name' said the same thing." Emily raised her eyebrows.

"Emily!" Emily's mom called from upstairs. "Could you tell Derek to go home now, I need you to help me clean the upstairs. Emily rolled her eyes at Casey, who was obviously not Derek and yelled back to her mom.

"Yeah, I'll send him home and be up in a sec!" Emily got up and gave Casey a hug, which was something Casey needed. After a moment she left the house and went back to hers. The sun was setting behind her. Dinner was approaching, and it was a good thing too because she was starting to feel a bit hungry.

Just as she was about to open the door she glanced at the letterbox. Sticking out of it was a blue-envelope reading _Casey._


	18. A Wieght Now Gone

**Author's Note******Some of you are catching on to what is going on in the side lines. We all know it's Derek. (Now that that is out in the open…) I may not be writing clearly when it comes to what Casey knows, doesn't know, doesn't get and does get. I don't want to be too straight-forward when I am writing Casey's thoughts because, for me, it loses that hint of mystery as to what Casey does and doesn't get. Her thoughts are going to become blunt, but just know that the reason it wasn't a straight-forward thought before it was because she was afraid to think it. You know? (Any help is appreciated!). As I was helping my sister write her story I saw a fragment of the story I particularly liked. Colors. That is extremely symbolic. Earlier in the story I mentioned white roses…which is highly symbolic (won't tell you why), but I thought, why can't the letter be another color…so that has strayed minutely. . Enjoy! READ REVIEW MY PRETTIES. :D

**Disclaimer**Oh cruel undaunting world! Cast me into the shadows in hopes that the true owner of LWD may be thrown in as well where I steal what should have been rightfully mine at the start of all life. The start of all life with derek. Don't own anything...

Casey pulled the letter out quickly and sat on the porch steps. It was blue this time, as oppose to the white envelope she usually received. _Does that mean this letter is special? Is he going to reveal who he is? _She greedily ripped open the envelope and discarded the unimportant part. After unfolding it she focused her eyes on the written words.

_Dear Casey,_

_I'm glad you found a gray area in your step-brother. It's good that you can like someone you don't like. _

_Better yet, I'm glad you like me. I thought it would take longer for you to warm up to me. It may be too soon, but I feel like taking a risk. I like taking risks. This one was hard to do outright though…once you meet me, you will probably understand why. I'll introduce myself to you this weekend. Everything will be explained then. _

_For now…I leave you with_

_No Name._

"I'm not allowed to leave the house! Will he knock on my front door?" Casey cried out in frustration. She was restricted still. Missing the Coldspray concert was hard enough, but now she was going to miss meeting No Name. Casey recalled telling him she couldn't leave, maybe since he knew she was going to be home he would end up knocking on her front door. _Or he would already be here._

The front door squeaked and Nora popped her head out.

"Casey, come in. It's dinner time." Casey turned back and smiled dearly at her mom. Recently she had fallen out of touch with her. Was something going on with her mom, or was she just too obsessed over 'No Name' to notice. It was probably the latter of the two.

"Okay."

Marti stirred in her seat.

"It's about time!" She called out to her. Casey smiled.

"Sorry Marti." Marti giggled.

"It's okay!"

Edwin was hunched over, staring longingly at the chicken in the middle of the table. Derek was watching TV still. Lizzie was writing something down in a notebook. George was going over something for work. Nora came out of the kitchen with the mashed potatoes, corn, and baked beans for everyone's sides. Derek jumped up and sat at the table, directly across Casey as usual, and started piling on the food. This left it open for everyone else to dig in.

Casey reached for the chicken last, because the smallest piece was last and she took more enjoyment in drinking beverages than eating food.

"Are you guys still leaving this weekend?" Casey interjected in a conversation Nora and Lizzie were having. She had no idea what they were talking about, but she wanted to be sure.

"Yes. We are leaving tomorrow after dinner. I'll leave you two money." Nora tilted her head towards Derek and then Casey signaling they were the two she was referring to. Casey fiddled with her corn.

"So Casey, how are things coming along with your secret admirer?" She looked at George. _Oh yeah. I told him. _Casey laughed at herself.

"I'm close to knowing who he is. He thinks he's ready to meet me. I'm scared…but excited."

"Scared?" Nora questioned. Edwin was looking up intently, as was Lizzie. Marti was eating, and Derek's head was looking down focused on his food.

"Yeah. A bit, but I really can't wait." There was a short silence and the dishes and silver ware could be heard clattering distinctly against each other.

"I can't wait to find out who it is!" Lizzie said emphatically. Casey smiled. She was smiling when she thought of 'No Name'. It was highly frustrating, but there was always a reason to smile. _Just like someone else I know…_She let herself think. Casey was trying to prepare herself for worst-case, or best-case, scenario.

"Me too." Derek said with his mouthful. She turned to him and he looked up. Casey gave a look of disgust but her heart was lifting upward, a weight was gone, a mystery coming to a close.

"Why? So you can crack a joke about him?" He snorted and Marti laughed loudly.

"Derek's a pig!" The table laughed sweetly at Marti. She was somehow like wood glue- holding everything together firmly, and accomplishing this through her child-like whims. Very innocent and loving, but also a constant truth.

"How was school today Marti?" George asked curiously.

"It was GREAT!" Nora raised her eyebrows. Usually Marti had something to say about the students or the teacher.

"Oh really? What fun thing did you do?" Casey asked, hoping that she would have learned something and had fun. Marti propped her elbows on the table as best she could.

"We finger painted in art class and our regular teacher told us that we could take a test on any subject we wanted and whoever got the highest got a really pretty sticker!"

"Oh really? What subject did you pick?" Casey asked, thoroughly intrigued. Derek was casting a furtive glance at Edwin. Edwin excused himself to use the bathroom.

"Math because you helped me."

"Did you win?" Nora asked.

"No. Dimi did! But he gave me the sticker!" George smiled.

"Can I see it Marti?" Lizzie asked. Marti pulled a sticker from her pocket that was shining with a random assortment of sparkles. After Lizzie looked at it Casey held out her hand.

"May I see it too?" Marti shook her head 'yes' at Casey. Casey tilted her head down, blocking the light from reaching the sparkles. She could now see it clearly.

There was a banner wrapped around the stem of a white rose. Her heart thumped, remembering the white rose 'No Name' had given her. Did he even know that was her favorite?

"Dimi said that he saw a picture with his mom getting married to his dad and she was holding flowers that looked like that. He said since we were already married I should have it when he takes me to church." Nora and George chuckled at her innocent ignorance.

Casey's mind was racing. White roses. _Leave a white rose on your doorstep, couldn't force it, love to see it, hear it, smell it, speak to me, from a bush, young and lush, feel it's rush…Rushing river rapids of…Poetry…I have a strong desire to write poetry…_Casey let out a sigh. _Only my family…and Emily know what my favorite flower is._ She looked up at Derek. He was eating his food, staring down, not making jokes, not saying anything. _Only family, friends, enemies…and lovers. _Casey handed the sticker back to Marti.

"That's very pretty." She said quietly.

"I know." Marti smiled. Edwin only returned to the dinner table when Derek had excused himself to watch a hockey game.

Casey lay in bed pondering too many things. She was to meet 'No Name'. Emily was keeping secrets. Derek wasn't acting…Derek-like. Edwin is Edwierdo because even he was acting distanced. White Roses…'No Name', 'No Name', 'No Name'. Sweet heart, loser, poser, actor, denyer, fabricator, deceptor, kind, trustworthy, truthful, shy. Were any of those his real attributes? If she wouldn't take him seriously face-to-face what could he have said in those letters to change that? Was it just a big joke?

She got up, flustered by her thoughts and quietly left her room. Casey shut the door and headed down the stairs and unlocked the front door so she could breathe in the chill night air.

Down one step she sat, peering lazily up to the night sky. Orion stood stout, his belt gleaming down at her proudly. He was arrogant, yet sophisticated; too freedom-loving, but knew a lot about having fun.

The crisp air made the sounds echo louder, and voices could be heard. At first Casey did not pay attention to these voices.

But when she heard Emily's voice say her name, she took on the role of her little sister Lizzie and investigated.


	19. StraightForward Thoughts of Change

**Author's Note******This was absolutely fun to retype. I changed A LOT of problems I had with it and I am very proud of this chapter. Like I said, the thoughts are going to become more straight-forward because the whole mystery is presenting itself in a straight-forward way. If you guys catch any mistakes tell me. I'll fix it. Read and review! You keep things interesting a lot of times and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE it when you guys speculate. It makes me smile so frikken much when you get it right, or you are on the verge or when I may have just confused you too much. (Hope that doesn't sound mean.) I just love you guys! So pleasant:D

**Disclaimer******I'm bored. Do you know why? I don't have Life with Derek to direct, produce, rewrite, or own. Life stinks without Derek.

"But how are we going to get her out of the house?" Em's voice resonated in the silence. Casey kept her back to the side of her house which was cloaked in darkness. Derek was leaning over their fence in the backyard. Emily was close to him, attempting to be as quiet as possible.

"Well, you convince her, however you convince her, and I stay behind." Casey dared getting even closer.

"For the whole night?" Emily's face was shining brightly by the moonlight. Derek's back was to Casey.

"No, of course not. I will most definitely leave. and the kids will be left with someone who knows about the whole thing."

"Who knows other than me and Edwin?" _So Edwin knows. I thought so. _She could feel Derek smirking. _Probably because I know when he would smirk._

"Sam. He found one of the letters and asked too many questions." _Found one of the letters? Derek had the letters...transporting them, writing them, taking them; Where did this take place? School?...I need more info._

"What did he think?" Derek shrugged his shoulders.

"No idea. I don't really bother myself with anyone's thoughts. They were only thought for a reason. If he wanted to tell me he would." Emily smiled girlishly.

"That's a great philosophy." Em leaned in closer to Derek. Casey was getting heated. Sometimes the way Emily put herself out to Derek made her seem whorish, even though she really wasn't. She inched closer, careful not to step on a dried leaf or twig.

"I know." Casey smirked. She had just realized were Marti got that mannerism of confidence from.

"After this is all…through…are we still going to be friends hanging out all the time?" Emily looked up expectantly at Derek. He swaddled backwards a bit and then leaned in to where he was.

"Yeah, but you know that if it goes well, it might change things between you and Casey." Emily crossed her arms in thought.

"Yeah, I guess it will. She's my best friend though; I don't think it will change for the worst."

"Well, you know Casey. Over-exaggerate and unpredictable." Casey smiled to herself. _So I am unpredictable, _"Of course, she is only unpredictable in an already unpredictable situation. She let out a disappointed sigh. Derek turned around and Emily peered in her direction. Wincing their eyes, they tried to see Casey in the shadow of her home. Derek turned back to Emily and gave her a short hug.

"I better go back in." He said coolly.

"You know it was probably just the wind." Emily said sweetly, though she rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"I'm tired anyways. Gotta get my sleep!" Em laughed.

"If you don't get it tonight, you'd probably get it in class anyway." Derek chuckled and they parted from each other.

Casey stood like a statue until two doors were closed distinctly in the near silent murmurs of the night.

She crept through her front door and walked quietly and slowly up the stairs to her room. Passing Derek's room she hoped that he would not hear her because she knew he was awake.

Thankfully, as though she was another body, another person, another soul, she got into her room without suspicious doors opening questioning why she was awake.

Sleep came quickly, morning came quicker, and her alarm clock was turned off by an early riser before it could even annoy her into waking life. _The obvious perpetrator is, _

"DEREK!" She screamed into her room. The rumble through the house was familiar. This was easier to deal with than some of the things she practically knew for a fact was coming up. Derek opened her door, smirking.

"Yes?"

"You turned off my alarm clock and now I only have five minutes to get ready!" He gave her an innocent look.

"Don't worry about it! We're not riding the bus today." Casey furrowed her eyebrows, her anger still there, but settling.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I asked Nora if she would take us to school. Nora and my dad have the day off because they are packing for their trip."

"I thought they were just going to a hotel or something."

"Well apparently Nora and her sister cooked up something a little more exciting, so they are just going to go de-stress instead of working." Casey sighed.

"They deserve it anyway. So, how much time do I have to get ready then?" Derek shrugged.

"You figure it out. I'm bad at everything, especially math…remember?" He left the room before she could make any comments. She glared contemptuously at the empty space where Derek was just standing.

When she was done getting ready she gave herself one last look in the mirror. _He could be showing up today. I want to look nice for him. He's sweet in words…is he sweet face to face? Could Derek even be sweet?_ Casey mentally smacked herself. She was speculating it was Derek again.

Why think on that? She spent too much energy avoiding that thought. The one mortifying, terrifying, absolutely horrifying thought concerning Derek and 'No Name' was kept an emotion and not a thought for a reason. Emotions can be irrational and illogical. Thoughts without emotion are facts from school, or facts from experience, advice from those two types of facts, and reasonable speculation. Thoughts can't be irrational or illogical if they are just a thought.

Was it reasonable to speculate that Derek was 'No Name'? He sounded too sweet to be Derek on paper, but all the things said pointed to Derek and all the actions led in circles around him.

It was driving her emotions haywire.

Was it so bad that Derek may desire her? _Not if I had thought of it first. _Which of course led her to believe that she wanted him; she thought he was cute like every other girl on the planet that came across him. The undesirable facts about him were that he was the types of girls he had dated before, the way he had treated those girls (Too nice to actually be truthful), he avoided everything and anything concerning him and his thoughts and emotions, and above all: He was forbidden.

_But it could be someone else. It could be. There is still that small opening. Maybe I am leaning most to Derek because he's just part of it and it's someone else. That's reasonable speculation, right? Reasonable doubt that it's Derek. Would it even be bad if it wasn't? _

_What if it really isn't Derek?_ Casey's heart sank. Her thoughts were scattered by her strange churning emotions.

"Why are you staring at yourself?" Marti asked curiously into Casey's room. She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Casey.

"Oh, I was just making sure I looked nice."

"Casey you always look pretty." Casey smiled sweetly at Marti.

"Thanks sweetie." There was a short silence but Marti had not left yet. Casey looked at her, waiting for her to say her thought that was written on her tiny little face.

"You know, you can call me 'Smarti'." Casey gave a funny confused look. "You can call me that and I can call you 'Smasey'!"

"Why do you say that?" Casey laughed quietly.

"Because Derek calls me 'Smarti' and I call him 'Smerek' and we both like each other lots. You can call him 'Smerek' too. Edwin says that would be funny." Casey crossed her arms.

"Well okay Smarti. If you want me to call you that I will." Marti smiled eagerly and walked away. There was a shuffle of another set of feet, beside Marti's, outside her door. She got up and peered down the hallway. No one was there.

Casey headed past Derek's door to go downstairs, to leave with Derek, but something caught her eye. She opened his door and on his pillow she saw a green bracelet reading 'Casey'.


	20. Imaginary Eloquence

**Author's Note **Wow, so it's been a while. Thank SO much to the people who have stayed with this fic, and welcome newcomers. Everytime I read a new review I was filled with sadness because I couldn't upload any new documents because of a new computer I had recieved. Now though, I am able to post the chapters! I finished typing it up in the waiting period but I've decided to post it in segments, but I PROMISE you that you will not have to wait NEARLY as long as you already have. It was a matter of technical difficulties and I hope you enjoy these last chapters.

This chapter may seem a bit confusing. It's A LOT of thought. If you were confused just reread or ask me a question. I had to go over it a couple of times just to make sure it came out how I wanted it to. As random, deep, and thought-provoking as Casey's thoughts must be as well. Honestly, I'd imagine her to have random thoughts because she's so organized on the outside. I know that when I am cleaning my mind is everywhere else and then POOF. Clean room and it was like I wasn't even there for it.

Just so we are all clear, last chapter ended when Casey saw the green bracelet with Casey's name on it on Derek's bed. Edwin gave the bracelet to her and then a few days later took it back. Now read the chapter and please don't hate me for this wait.

**Disclaimer******Abracadabra-alakazam. Bing-bang-boom, LWD creator is now a MUSHROOM. -dyemhv runs off with the copyrights.-. JK JK JK.

_So Edwin didn't need it for a project. He wanted it for…_

"What are you doing in my room?" An arrogant voice called deeply into the silence of Derek's room. Casey turned to face Derek. She was certain now. The question was: To play dumb, or not to play dumb?

"I dropped an earring and it rolled in here. Your room is a pigsty." She said lackadaisically, her voice only shaking a tiny bit, as she peered across the floor to further the white-lie. He smirked.

"It doesn't get that way on purpose. It just happens to be that way. Sometimes you just have to accept things the way they are." He walked forward a bit, looking around the floor.

"Or, you clean them up and they are just like they were before…except cleaner and better." Derek knelt down and was investigating the floor. Casey furrowed her brows and gave a small giggle. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to help you find the earring so you can get out." Derek stated in a simple and easy tone. Casey felt an inflection of anger rising but she blew it off at the kind gesture he was making. There really was no earring; he was searching for nothing. Another white-lie was called for. "I'll get it later." Her eyes darted across the room guiltily. Casey turned her back to him and reached the doorway when Derek made a comment to her.

"Just so you know, cleaning it up doesn't always make it better." Casey stopped short but kept her back turned to Derek. The words were sinking in and she had a feeling he wasn't talking about the room anymore.

Without responding she walked away, completely forgetting that the bracelet was in there, lying motionless on his bed.

Nora drove a silent Casey and an obnoxious Derek to school. He insisted they play 'Disturbed' and her mom agreed as long as it wasn't too loud or too vulgar of word choice.

"Ten Thousand Fists in the Air!" He cried out the window in sync with the pitches of the singers voice. Funny how some people sing better when there is a guide. Casey remembered his horrid singing from D-Rock. Mentally she rolled her eyes and kept silent.

The school day trudged by slower than she wanted, which was agonizing because normally it went by fast and normally she wanted to be there.

All she wanted was the weekend. All she wanted was to _know _that she was rightBut knowing and guessing, thinking and feeling, acknowledging and denying are all separate things.

_Mentally I have to prepare myself. _

A vision of Derek presenting a letter to her flashed in her head. It was her and Derek. She wasn't breathing, but it was the non-breathing type of emotion that is pleasant and not paralyzing. The note read, "_Sorry it took me so long to say this, but I'm crazy about you. -Derek/No Name._" Her heart fluttered. The fear subsided into a non-realistic hope of romance.

The true fear was that her fantasies weren't going to be like reality and that her assumptions were mere miscalculations. All the signs pointed to Derek, didn't they? Who else could have known so much? Who else was so arrogant? Who else may she have misunderstood or not given a chance? He and his step-sister did not get along and the small details he mentioned seemed to parallel the things she had seen in Derek, and the things he might have seen in her, if No Name was Derek.

It had to fit. In fact, she was beginning to hope that it fit.

But sometimes you think a puzzle pieces fits in the top left corner when really it's place is in the bottom right. The jumble of pieces and tiny clues had you so confused you couldn't even place a simple 'edge' piece in the right spot.

Assumptions make fools of us all.

_But logically, Derek is the prime suspect. And logic is practical, and all practical things are usually the right things and if Derek is 'No Name' then that would be practical. Right? Or would it be impractical because he is my evil step-brother from…Snow White. _Casey laughed. A couple of students turned to her. She gave a cough and receded back to her thoughts.

Imaginary Derek's told her how much they wanted her, and the imaginary Casey's turned him down over and over and over.

And over.

Because…They were practical. And imaginary. _If they are so imaginary why do I have no control over them?_

The answer came.

_I'm avoiding it. I'm avoiding it again. I avoided the thought of Derek being 'No Name' before and now I am avoiding how I would even react. I'm afraid to react. I react to everything that has to do with him and his existence on this planet. How can I have so much fury to someone so…awesome. Awesome being the only word I can say comfortably. _

_But really. How did he want to be with me in the first place if I annoyed him so much? How could he stand me if I couldn't stand him? Does that just go hand in hand with the misjudgments' and miscommunications. _

_That or he is hoping I will react like this so he can mess with my head. He would enjoy the thought of me being tormented mentally at his hand. _

_How did he even write that eloquently? He is so thick and unromantic in his words it's actually hard to imagine him writing it alone. _

Fourth hour came and Emily was not speaking to Casey. Casey was so enraptured into her thoughts that she didn't take notice to Emily's silence.

_So he must have had help writing that. Or it wasn't him. Should I quit thinking about this? Should I deny all I am thinking and feeling? _

Casey stirred uncomfortably and accidentally nudged on Em, again, not noticing even her presence.

_If I were to just dash it all away then I would be completely unprepared when he introduces himself. Maybe that's what he wanted…No Name didn't want me to come up with something prepared or fake or false. He wants me, as I am, on the spot. _

_Too bad I don't do 'on the spot'. _

Casey gave a heavy sigh.

"Worried about something?" A distant voice vibrated in Casey's ear drums. A hand is thrusted on her shoulder, throwing her off balance and snapping violently out of her thoughts. "Worried about something?" Emily repeated in a harsh whisper to not attract the teacher. Casey turned to her and smiled.

"A little. Nothing too big…" She didn't want to say much. Not till it was over.

"Are you sure?" Emily asked with a cheeky smile.

"Yes."

"Is it because of this weekend?" Casey shifted.

"What do you mean?" She asked shakily.

"Because you can't see Coldspray and have to clean with Derek."

"Oh. Yeah, it doesn't sound like much fun. I wish I could go, but I might have plans." Emily furrowed her brows.

"Plans? Like…" Casey gave a smile and just as she was about to talk to her about 'No Name's' proposal to finally meet the bell rang and Casey scurried out of the class. She really didn't want to talk. She didn't want to say too much.


	21. In a Good AND Bad Way

**Author's Note **I would appreciate reviews! For the next three days I will be unable to get onto the computer due to family issues, but chapter 22 and 24 will come out this thursday!

For those who forgot...remember what Marti said to Casey about calling her Smasey?

**Disclaimer **I own nothing.

Derek was in front of school waiting, smiling, smirking, tilting his body in his calm, cool, patience. His eyes followed her up to him.

"What are you so happy about?" She asked him, hoping to break his arrogant stance.

"Cleaning this weekend." Casey started laughing hysterically. Her nerves were wrecked at this point in the day and anything he may have said would have made her crack. Derek gave a short laugh.

"Seriously? You've got to be kidding me." She stated to him forcefully. He had no time to respond though as Nora pulled up to the front of school and Derek jumped for the front seat before Casey could even start for the car. Frustrated, she sighed and walked to the other side to get in the back seat behind her mom.

"How was school Casey?" Nora asked sweetly. Casey let out a sigh. She hadn't really paid much attention to school. Her thoughts were totally absorbed into one guy, one letter, one pinnacle moment in her life that could change her whole view of life and love. Especially if it was Derek.

Especially.

"School, was…School was great mom! I had a great chat with Emily about secrets." Casey was trying to provoke Derek. If it was Derek he would _have _to react. That, or he was better at keeping his cool.

Or it just wasn't him.

In the back of Casey's mind an iron lung sounded out to her saying that there was no way it wasn't Derek. She was tired of avoiding it. Again, she submitted to thoughts of Derek.

"Oh really? What kind of secrets." Nora responded interestedly.

"Mystery-men. I of course can't tell any of the secrets to you because they're secrets." Derek shifted in the front seat and looked out the window. Casey let a smirk streak across her face. She was watching Derek for a couple of minutes as her mom carried a conversation with Derek about his day. He didn't have much to say but Nora let out many words. She was rather enthused about her vacation, and showering appreciation to both of them for taking care of the kids and so far not putting up too much of an argument about cleaning together.

Casey hadn't heard a word. Her eyes were on his book bag where there were several forest green threads. They were stuck in his front zipper. _I don't understand any of his reasons for liking me. I just don't get him. It's all one big misunderstanding. We would never work out anyways. Sure he's…great with kids, funny, charming, but he's no where near clean, has strange morals…and I'm almost positive he would leave a funny after-taste because all of his antics leave funny after-tastes. Of course they are usually the kind that flitter in your stomach…if you're like me you ignore them. Out of fear, out of morality, out of anything because my reasons are excuses…they're fake. They're lies. _

_And now I've told more lies to myself than anyone I've ever known. _

_Tension. _

_Pain. _

_Fear. _

_My morals that came crashing down a long time ago were only supported by the thin thread that was connected to the marriage of my mother and his father. _

_And I never saw him as a brother. He was more the annoying roommate, the noisy neighbor, the class clown of the dinner table, and the one person who drove me crazy in a bad AND a good way. _

"Well in any case, make sure you guys actually clean each room together. I have my pre-teen spies on you guys and I know they'd love to see you grounded and doing their chores because you didn't do them together." Derek nodded his head and turned to the silent Casey. "You hear that Case?" Nora asked while keeping her eyes on the road.

"Yeah. For the most part. I don't think I'll have a problem with the cleaning like Derek will."

"Don't forget to do your guy's rooms too." Derek gulped.

"What?!" They yelped out in unison.

"Oh…sorry I forgot to mention that part. I was just so excited about my vacation." Nora let out a laugh and Casey's heart fell weak. She had so many private things in her room that Derek would be free to touch, and it wasn't like it was even messy anyways. _I could just play off that. He's __not__ going to be aloud in __my__ room. _

"I really don't want Casey in my room. Can we just clean our rooms separately?" Derek asked in a relatively ignorant tone.

"Sorry, but no can do." Nora seemed too jovial about it all. Probably the vacation still. Casey no longer trusted anyone. They were _all _plotting in her opinion. Her heart raced, and her palms became damp. Casey wiped them off and grabbed her things as they rounded the corner onto the street their house was on.

George was packing their suitcases into 'The Prince' and Lizzie was helping. Edwin was in the doorway with Marti just watching Lizzie. Casey rolled her eyes.

_Lazy Venturi's. _

Derek and Casey got out of the car and Nora was fumbling with papers, still seated in the driver's seat.

Marti got a huge dorky grin on her face and she ran quickly toward Casey and Derek, her arms stretched out. Casey kept walking while Derek stopped, because they both assumed Marti was running toward Derek.

Marti got to Casey and hit Casey's legs hard with her chest and wrapped her arms around her.

"Smasey!" She yelled upward. It was a little awkward for Casey, but she set her book bag down and lifted Marti in the air.

"You're getting heavy!" Casey said forcefully, still lifting her in the air. She turned to Derek who was smirking. He crossed his arms.

"I know!" Marti's face was too adorable. Casey melted, and Derek reached over and took Marti out of her arms, and Casey willingly complied because she wasn't the strongest big step-sister in the world.

"Hi Smerek!"

"Smarti! How's my little munchkin!" She gave Derek a thumbs up. _He would make such a great dad. Derek really isn't a bad guy…Maybe I was really, really wrong this time…I know I've been wrong before…but I'm usually a great judge of character. _The voice of reason chimed in and she realized how many bad judgments of character she had made in her lifetime. Lizzie and Edwin were heard in the background chuckling. Casey snapped out of her trance of Derek's fatherly behavior.

After dinner and when everything was packed into 'The Prince' Nora and George said their quick goodbyes and left. Derek turned to the four of them and Casey remembered when George and Nora left them in charge and he threw a party. Casey swore before Derek even said a word if he ordered her around so he could throw a party the official gauntlets would be thrown down and she would tackle his lord scrappiness.

"Kids, you guys can go watch T.V. while me and Casey do the cleaning upstairs. When we are done up there you will go to your rooms and sleep because it will probably take us till your bedtime to finish it." Casey's mouth gaped open.

"You've got to be kidding me." She let out in almost a whisper because she was so astonished that it must be a fantasy.

"Don't you know me? I mean what I say, it's the practical jokes you shouldn't take seriously." With a smirk, Derek turned from Casey and headed upstairs. Edwin looked at Casey with a knowing look and Lizzie simply stared after Derek as confused as Casey.

_But then again…Maybe Derek/No Name has a plan to win me over so I fall for Derek and not No Name…or he doesn't want to do it tomorrow because he wants to do something special tomorrow…should I try to figure this out?_

"You coming Casey?" Derek called down the stairs, "I know how you love cleaning and you're going to miss out while I peek in your journal!" She turned red and Marti laughed.

Casey ran up the stairs screaming after Derek.


	22. Clean Together Clean Seperately

**Author's Note **I know I said I would put this up yesterday but I had a thing with my family and didn't have a chance to get on the computer, and now I'm sick so I'll put this up and go to bed. You will see the next chapter sometime between Sunday-to-Wednesday. I've decided I won't be too specific on days because I have to focus on some family issues at the moment.

This chapter Derek slips a little more out of character. I think I keep him in character enough, with the changes that he's made throughout the story. I have this WHOLE REASON behind his changes that will become clear when he explains everything to Casey, so don't be too critical about that. (Though I absolutely love constructive criticism.) Leave a review and you'll be in my heart:D

**Disclaimer **Don't you know by know that I don't own Life with Derek? I own Life with Rachel. :D

"Der-ek!" She yelled into her room. No one was in there. She looked into his room. No one.

The kids rooms held no one as well.

A hand reached out from the bathroom and ripped her backwards. She came crashing down onto Derek and he kept her from falling because she fell onto his chest. Casey looked up for a second and got off him with a small blush.

"First off: the bathroom. Good thing it's a bit roomy." Derek said with a cool easiness about things. It's like her being on his chest meant nothing to him. It's those moments that she was doubtful, but her heart kept screaming _It's Derek, Derek, Derek. _

"Uhm…Okay." She wrapped her arms around herself subconsciously, looking around the messy bathroom littered mostly with Marti's toys.

"Well, I'm not too good at this whole cleaning thing so maybe you could start?" Casey looked at him.

"While I'm at it I'll finish it too!" Her face contorted to the billowing smoke and flame that usually came at this point.

"If that's what you want." Derek smirked and sat down on the toilet. His face was cocky and it was hard to force back the temptation of slapping him across his face.

"What I want is to do the kids' rooms first." He thought for a moment. Casey eyed the shower. Come to think of it, _I'll take a shower when we're done with the chores. _

"Fine. We can do the kid's rooms first." Derek took heavy strides outward and entered Marti's room first. While they tidied her room she had every single temptation to ask him about her suspicions, which at this point weren't really suspicions, but more like facts, yet she did nothing.

Mainly out of fear.

And besides, he was going to present himself to her so she would like to humor herself as to how he will be going about it.

"She has so many blessed toys." Casey softly let out.

"That she does." Derek eyed the room and suddenly chuckled. "Hey look." He pointed down at a rather lanky monkey strewn across the floor. "Good times." Casey gave a quizzical look to Derek.

"Good times? It's a stuffed monkey, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to infer from that statement."

"I'd tell you but I'm sworn to secrecy."

"Then what was the point of even pointing out the monkey anyway?"

"Casey do you want to get cleaning tonight and have it all done or not?" Casey crossed her arms. _Since when did he act responsible about ANYTHING?_

"I'm just trying to decipher your motives." Derek didn't look up from the monkey in his hand.

"Motives? For what?"

"Being so responsible about this cleaning thing. You must have something planned this weekend, or you have something you want to do in the future and don't want to get banned from doing because you didn't clean this weekend. But I think it's because something is going on _this _weekend which is why you are hurrying the cleaning process." His eyes looked up quickly, and he smirked.

"Casey, why do you analyze everything?" She stood up at the remark. Not out of anger, but a mild sense of shock. This is a Derek she had never known. He was almost being civil to her, and she was noticing it well. Sure he kept making little jokes...but why did this version of Derek slip by her? Why was she only now seeing this...sweeter Derek?

"I don't know...It comes natural to me. I was meant to find meaning in the meaningless I guess."

"And nothing in the meaningful." Derek stated solidly as he slid an armful of toys into Marti's toybox. Casey eyed the now clean room to distract herself from this tense moment with Derek. Well, on her end it was tense, for him it was...lackadaisical. "Next room?" She nodded her head. Derek exited quickly and went directly to Lizzie's room, silently Casey followed. _No more words. Just clean. I don't want to let him know I know...I don't want him to tell me till he decides he will. I don't want to push it. For now...I'll wait. No sense in rushing this. It's...sensitive. Oh God...What if I care for him too? What if we start a relationship together...What if we fall in love and do things people who are in love do? What if we break up and things are tense in the house...more than before...What if Mom and George find out?...Oh God..._

Snapping fingers brought her out of her inner world. Casey blinked and looked at Derek who had a casual expression on his face.

"Thought I lost you there for a moment. We might just have to put you in an institution for the mentally disabled if you keep blanking out like that." Casey rolled her eyes and gestured that they both start cleaning.

Within the next hour Edwin and Lizzie's rooms were clean, as was the bathroom which left Casey and Dereks' rooms. Derek started towards Casey's door but she pushed him the other direction.

"What are you doing?" He asked loudly taking an aggressive stance.

"Can we just clean our own rooms and say we cleaned it together. Lizzie and Edwin aren't watching." She motioned to the open closet door. Derek looked at her in contemplation. Casey wanted to know why he wasn't so quick to jump at the chance to just break the rules. Maybe because he was about to break a HUGE rule and decided to follow the simpler rules in hopes that the breaking of this larger rule would ease everything that may fall onto his shoulders.

"Fine. But if we hear footsteps I'm running to _your _room." Casey crossed her arms.

"Why _mine_?" Derek smirked.

"Because you're the one who wants to defy Nora." He turned coolly and entered his own room. She was defeated; that was an _excellent _point he had made.


	23. Mentalities Starting To Be Understood

**Author's Note******I changed a couple of things in the actual show…well…didn't CHANGE it necessarily, I sort of twisted it. Like why she was interested in Max. Because he thought her room was the bathroom. Well I changed that to fit…and I think what I said is believable.

Also, it is SO hard to write like a little kid again. So, just enjoy the Marti story. Don't criticize much on _that _part.

**Disclaimer******I don't own LwD.

Casey scanned her room silently. She felt so completely distracted, not to mention the fact that she had no real cleaning to do. As though forbidden in her own room she searched through her dresser drawers cautiously and came upon a sketchbook she had not opened for nearly a month.

Her fingers touched the top right corner and opened the book. The first drawing within it was of her mother and father lying on a couch together at their old house. Nora's eyes were closed and sleepy while her Dad's were focused on some unobtained desire in the distance. Quickly she turned the page, she didn't like to dwell on their divorce and though she denied it, the divorce _still _bothered her.

The next few pages she skipped due to certain painful memories, until finally she landed on the picture she drew of her mom and George's wedding. With soft eyes she scanned all it's characters. George and Nora were stationed at the alter which was in the left of the photo, Lizzie was sitting in the front row next to Marti who was in her flower girl outfit, Edwin was looking hopelessly into the distance outside the window, a few of their relatives were seated in the back. When Casey had drawn the picture she was seated next to Derek in the back, but he was sound asleep at the time. At the bottom left of the drawing was Derek's hand. It was so simple, but it was there; she drew all of it from real life. With that talent she had no need for picture memory.

Casey flipped the page. Again and again. The pages coming after George and Nora's wedding always had something to do with Derek. Sometimes she took an image of herself out of her head to draw them fighting verbally, or brawling. She turned the page. There Derek was in this drawing, kissing Emily, and Casey was in the background rolling her eyes. There Derek was holding Kendra softly, and Casey was to the side, kissing Max to prove what they had was something just as special.

But it suddenly occurred to her how many un-special relationships she had. They were inspired by Derek too. Casey found interest in Sam because he was like Derek…but sweeter. Casey found interest in Max because of Derek and Max's rivalry. And in Noel? Definitely the fact that Derek was in the play and they had an on-stage kiss. She liked when Noel and Derek were dueling, but she never knew why. It was just an illogical emotion that she decided to ignore.

Until now. All those illogical emotions she felt about Derek before, all of them, the ones of hate that she embraced and the ones of passion that she drew quickly and discarded as a forgotten memory, they were all logical now. Everything was starting to make more sense.

_It was Derek all along…wasn't it._

Footsteps were heard coming hard up the stairs and Casey heard Derek's door open and then hers was opened shortly after. Quickly Casey slammed her sketchbook closed and shoved it in her drawer and closed it, then turned to Derek guiltily.

"What was that?" He inquired innocently.

"None of your business." Casey snapped. Derek widened his eyes and looked away. In the open doorway of Casey's room stood Marti with Sir Monks-A-Lot.

"Did you get that out of your toy box?" Casey smiled down at her. Marti smiled and shook her head yes.

"He is clotstropic." Derek furrowed his eyebrows.

"You mean claustrophobic." She reminded the little girl. Marti smiled and shook her head yes. "Do you need something hunny?"

"I'm tired, I want someone to read me a good night story!" Casey smiled, crossed her arms and looked at Derek.

"I guess I will Smarti." Derek said gently to his baby sister. Marti walked backward, looking hurt, and hugged her monkey.

"Can you _and _Casey read to me? The story I want you to read is with a boy and a girl." Expecting that they would immediately agree she headed off to her room. Casey and Derek looked at each other, both frozen in stance. Derek, however, moved first and went to Marti's room.

Casey soon followed.

A small stack of papers that was slightly crumpled and stapled together sat out in the open for them to read. It was written in child's handwriting.

"Marti did you write this?" Casey asked, impressed.

"Yeah, I did. I really like it and I want you guys to read it to me. I want to know how it sounds in your head." To Casey, Marti seemed as though she grew mentally too quickly but in most moments the kid shown out more clearly. Derek grabbed up Marti and sat down with her on his lap on Marti's bed. Casey sat down next to them so she could read with him.

"The Wonderfulness of A Heart" Derek smirked to himself as he read the title. They both began to read as Marti snuggled into Derek.

"The smart girl named Leslie sits quietly in her room. She waits for a prince to storm in and tell her things she wants to hear.", Casey read aloud, "Instead a boy named Freddy tromps into her space being mean in the fun way. Neither of them understand the others mentally." Casey frowned. "I think you meant to write mentality."

"You could read it how you think I should have written it to save interruptions." Marti said softly. Casey smiled and continued reading.

"Neither of them understand the others mentality. One day when the smart girl and the boy are fighting a magic fairy appears in between them. The fairy says that if they want pain they can keep fighting, but if they want happiness they have to come to an agreement." Derek started with the next line.

"'What kind of agreement', the boy asked the fairy. 'The kind of agreement you make when you see someone in need of help.' The smart girl did not understand which was unusual for her to not get it. 'No one here needs help.' the boy stated arrogantly to the fairy. The fairy did not like his rudeness but the smart girl and the boy couldn't tell she was frustrated." Casey took the paper from him so she could read the girls part.

"'I don't need help, and even if he needed help he wouldn't accept it.' The fairy smiled. 'That is what you need help with. You don't think you have a problem, and he can't open up.' The smart girl and the boy looked at each other and then at the fairy. 'If you can yell your hearts out at each other, letting each other know every dark secret hidden in there…imagine what kind of friendship you could have if you yelled a little softer, with nicer things to say. Deeper things.' The smart girl was shocked with the fairy and the boy walked out of the room. The fairy disappeared." Casey handed the paper back to Derek. She held herself in contemplation as to what inspired Marti to write such a story, and to write so deeply for a six year old.

"The boy didn't know how to take what the fairy had said. When he didn't know, he assumed it wasn't real or it was a lie. A fool's assumption. The girl cried in her room, because she suddenly felt rejected by the world. No nice person had come along and told her an enemy could be a friend. A true friend. Within the next week the boy tromped quietly into the smart girl's room while she slept. He whispered a nice word in her ear, 'Love.' The smart girl did not stir. The boy left her in sleep and the next morning he barged arrogantly into her room, a crown placed on his head." Derek handed the paper gently to Casey, Marti was starting to drift into slumber.

"'I never see crowns in this time, why have you worn one today?' The smart girl inquired sweetly to the boy." Casey handed the story back to Derek.

"'Because it is what you want to see.' The smart girl frowned at him. He turned to leave, but turned back to her again. 'I don't care what you want to hear though.' The smart girl's mouth hung open. 'If I said what you wanted to hear it wouldn't be me, it would be you.'" Derek handed it back.

"'What makes you so sure you know what I want to hear. Since when do you care if I care about what I see in you.' The boy looked at her and she knew. The wonderfulness of a heart is like that. It's the things you don't have to say to make the love magical. In the background a small fairy smirked to herself. A job well done." The story ended there and Casey dropped her arm helplessly to her side. Such a simple story but it held such a cute and powerful truth. Are young children the most perceptive of our time?

Derek stood up, a sleeping Marti bundled against his chest. He looked at Casey quickly, and Casey turned away. She knew he saw her looking at him too…and though they did not say it…they knew what the other was thinking.

A mentality starting to become understood.

He laid Marti down onto her bed and they both walked to the doorway. Casey turned back at Marti's knowing face and turned off the light. Derek and Casey headed downstairs to send the other two to bed so they could finish the rest of the cleaning.


	24. So He DID Have A Plan

**Author's Note******I want you all to just enjoy this chapter. We are getting even closer to the end guys! I can't wait till you see what happens:D

**Disclaimer******Tinkerbell's fairy magic couldn't even make me own LWD. But at least I can fly now!

"Time for bed guys." Derek stated solidly before Casey had the chance to. Lizzie and Edwin turned their eyes from the TV to Derek with a sort of shock. Without a word they both got up and went up the stairs. Casey grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

"The living room doesn't look too bad, so we could do this room first and then the laundry room, and finally the kitchen." Casey said to Derek while observing the living room. Derek said nothing and starting picking up the trash on the desks.

"Casey…what's this?" Derek asked quietly, lifting up a drawing she had given to her mom a while back of George and her mom hugging each other.

"Looks like a drawing Sherlock." Casey rolled her eyes, hoping he inquired no further.

"Did you do this?" She turned to him.

"What makes you think I draw? Have you ever seen me draw?" Derek set the paper down.

"No, but it is one of those pansy things you seem to be interested in. Why else would you take an art class?" Casey crossed her arms.

"Because I wanted to learn how to draw, but I don't draw. Just drop it." Derek smirked and Casey glared. She wanted him to say he knew she drew because he was 'No Name'. To break him would be some sort of triumph. Part of her wanted him to do it when he was ready, but a double fear from when George mentioned he did the secret admirer stuff but never told the girls made her fear that Derek may never say a word.

"Oh, I think you drew this, considering," Derek picked the drawing back up again and pointed to initials, "those are your initials." Casey looked away.

"Fine I drew it. What do you want from me?" She reached over and snatched the drawing from him and started walking toward the basement to put it in her mom's room. Derek trailed behind her.

"I want you to admit that you like drawing. You like dance, theater, writing, and cheerleading. Why wouldn't you admit to liking this?" Casey opened the basement door and started going down the stairs. Derek still behind her.

"Because, you would only have mean things to say to me about it. Why torment myself by admitting it?"

"Since we are assuming things, I'll assume you draw. A lot. In fact, on a regular basis. And why would you think I would have mean things to say?" Derek said softly, quite close to her. Casey reached George and Nora's bedroom door and turned to Derek before opening it. There was barely an inch between them. She smirked at him.

"Why wouldn't you? I'd find it highly out of character." He didn't move or change face. She turned back to the door and opened it.

Casey placed the drawing on their bed and went back to the doorway where Derek stood, holding a stance. She tried to move her way past him, but to no avail.

"Would you _move_!" Casey stared up at him, and she decided, like every other time, she was _not _going to back down. Whether or not he was 'no name', it didn't matter.

"No. Not till you _admit _it." She smirked.

"Fine. Stay there. I really could care less." Casey reached back and slammed the door on him, then turned to seat herself on George and Nora's bed. Derek opened the door and shut it behind him and protected the door so Casey couldn't leave.

"Admit it." He said forcefully.

"Not till you admit what you need to admit." Casey said without looking at him. Derek scoffed and Casey looked up at him. "Admit it."

"I have nothing to admit." Casey got up and walked slowly up to him. His eyes shook a little, and didn't move from her eyes. She got a half inch between them and then reached around him and opened the door. He shifted to keep her from opening the door any more.

"I have nothing to admit either." Casey said gingerly, their lips almost touching, but her eyes staying fierce and unwavering. She moved him out of the way and he complied.

The door opened and the two teenagers went back upstairs.

Two hours later, after a silent time cleaning every room after the incident in the basement, Casey plopped down onto the couch and Derek seated himself in the chair.

"For the smart girl you are supposed to be, I would have thought you would have figured it out by now." Derek said. Casey opened her weak and tired eyes.

"Excuse me?" Was he going to admit it?

"My plan is to sneak out. I'm going to see Coldspray." Casey's mouth dropped open. She had nearly forgotten about their Coldspray tickets.

"And I suppose you thought you'd be responsible, shock me, and then ditch me with the kids?" Derek laughed and shook his head.

"No. You're coming with me. And Emily."

"Me? Come _with _you?" Casey pondered for a moment. "What about Sam?" Casey questioned.

"He's watching them. I gave him some money to buy the ticket off of him and we are going to sell it for some extra money before we enter." She leaned back, trying to think her way out of this.

"What if Edwin, Lizzie or Marti tell George or Mom?"

"I already talked to them. They are going to keep quiet."

"What did you bribe them with?" Derek smirked.

"That's none of your concern." He stood up. "For now, go to sleep."

"You can't tell me what to do Derek." Derek smiled down at her and raised his eyebrows. Casey crossed her arms. He turned and went up the stairs. When she heard his door shut she went upstairs to go to sleep.


	25. The Wrong Room

**Author's Note **I'm really, really, so very sorry that I stopped posting chapters again. My aunt died and I had to take myself away from my internet life. I was really close to her and I'm still in grieving...I've recieved a couple of PM's from frustrated readers and though I was hurt at what they said I never intended to tick anyone off. I'm really sorry if I did. I'm posting all the chapters and I seriously hope that I don't dissapoint anyone. To people who have read my other fics, you know that the endings arent' my best. Chapter 29 is the last chapter.

I really love dreams and sleepwalking. That's really all I have to say. Also, I am letting you all into a couple of people's mind for a _brief _glimpse. You all know that you want to know. So here it is, cause I also want you to know what they think. But it's brief. Yep.

**Disclaimer **I own nothing.

Casey crawled into her bed, light off and pj's on, and situated herself for sleep. There was only one person in her mind. There was only one thing she could think about.

Derek and tomorrow.

She turned her head to look at the time. It was nearly ten at night. Casey breathed in deep and let out a huge sigh.

After ten minutes of just lying there Casey got up, aggravated and walked to her door. Her legs were feeling a tad weak and her arms felt heavy but she kept walking to the door. Finally she opened the door and saw Derek's door to the right as she exited her room. She turned softly and walked to his door.

The hallway was extra dark and slightly warped. She had the sensations of real life mixed with dreams. Her hand grasped his doorknob and opened.

Derek's voice questioned her in some echo tone, she could barely make things out.

"Are….Casey…okay?…Help…get…Don't…." Was all she understood. Her mind wanted her to walk up to him but her feet tilted a strange direction and headed for his window. She could even hear herself snoring.

"Derek shut up."

"Up?…Out!…Room…" Her hand landed on his window and she felt herself falling backwards. His hands wrapped around her as she fell and the last thing she saw was a blurred image of Derek.

Saturday morning took _forever _to come for Casey. The rest of her night was dreams of romance and fairy tales where-in Derek was her unlikely hero and she, the equal heroine he so longed for, well, dream-Derek longed for.

Casey stretched in a long yawn and realized that she was lying on Derek's bedroom floor, her cover over her and her pillow beneath her head. The shock of her position settled and she screamed.

"DEREK!" A body jumped beneath Derek's covers and Edwin's head emerged.

"Keep it quiet! I'm _tired._" Casey curved her eyebrows in confusion.

"Edwin?" Casey shook her head and grabbed her things to leave Derek's room.

She put her things in her room and went to Edwin's room.

"Derek?" Casey asked cautiously into the room. No answer. She then walked to Lizzie's room and only saw Lizzie lying in bed. In Marti's room there was only Marti.

There was no one in the living room, kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom. Casey went to check George and Nora's room.

"Derek?" No answer. Again. She slammed the door as hard as she possibly could.

In a fury she stormed up the stairs and out the back door.

"WHY AM I SO MAD?" And she sat down with that last scream into the air. In all honesty, it made her feel better. Derek was going to come back home if he had even left, or he'd eventually come out of hiding if he had hid. _Or maybe he decided to leave without me…_

"Casey?" She heard a girl's voice from a slight distance. Casey looked up and to the right. Emily's head was poking out of her bedroom window from next door.

"Hey Em. Good morning this is huh?" Casey said sarcastically, then turned away dramatically to add to her dislike of this morning.

"What were you just yelling for?"

"Well, I woke up on Derek's bedroom floor and now I can't find him _ANYWHERE _in the house." Emily laughed.

"Well, I don't know how you got in Derek's room but you won't find him at your house because he's over here at mine." Derek's head popped out of the window.

"Hi Casey, you were too heavy for me to pick up when you slept walk into my room." Derek said while smirking. "Also, you kept drooling." Casey glared up at him in utter repugnance.

"You just wait Venturi, I will _get _you." She threatened.

"Oh, I bet you will." His head disappeared behind Emily's and Emily gave a weak smile to Casey before she was pulled back by what Casey could only assume was Derek.

"Just calm down Casey. He'll explain it to you later. How did I even end up in his room?" She said to herself. "Did I sleepwalk or something? I can barely recall what happened after I laid down on my bed." Casey rest her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. She set herself in contemplation mode but no thoughts came to mind. Not this time. It was a thoughtless buzz going about her brain.

And it was probably better that way at that moment. She had so many different emotions and events going on all at once that it was nice to just _not think._

_Or as Derek may tell me, to not analyze so much. Well, here I am with everything to analyze and nothing to think. I wonder if he wanted me as thoughtless as all the blondes he's dated. _For some reason a smile spread across Casey's face.

Lizzie came outside through the back door and sat next to Casey.

"Are you okay?" She asked full heartedly. Casey smiled at her sister.

"Yeah. I actually am. I was just shocked to wake up on Derek's bedroom floor and Edwin sleeping in Derek's bed. It was quite confusing for someone who had too many dreams for one night."

"You were in Derek's room?" Lizzie furrowed her eyebrows. "Well, now it makes sense why he asked Edwin to sleep in his bed last night. Derek either thought 'ew Casey's in here and I can't get her out' or he didn't want you getting mad if he slept in his room despite the fact you were in there." Casey laughed. "What?"

"I think I handed over my analyzing too much trait to you." Lizzie smiled.

"Yeah, except we handle it differently. I love mysteries because I like to analyze them, you analyze so much that you can't stand a mystery otherwise you'll overload your brain." Casey raised her eyebrows and put an arm around Lizzie.

"You know what Liz…I think your right." She gave a knowing smile to Lizzie, and then headed inside to eat breakfast.

A few hours after a filling breakfast and a nice workout there was a knock on the front door. She answered the door, expecting Emily and Derek, though she wasn't thoroughly sure why he wouldn't just walk in, but saw Sam.

"Sam?" At first Casey didn't know why he showed up, but then she remembered he was part of Derek's scheme. "Sam. Come in, Derek's next door at the moment." Casey rolled her eyes and let Sam past.

"So, Casey, how've you been?" Casey shut the door as Sam set down on the couch.

"Fine. A little confused about a lot of things going on at the moment, but essentially fine." Sam patted his knees uncomfortably.

"Confused about what exactly?" Casey smiled and turned away.

"Girl stuff…You wouldn't really want to know." Sam shook his head and looked away. There was tension because Casey knew Sam knew and Sam didn't know Casey knew he knew and it was just uncomfortable for the pure fact they tried being friends and then stopped talking again.

And now his best friend, Derek, was in love with his step-sister, and Sam's ex.

Which was going against the male code that he threw in Sam's face over a year ago. _But it makes sense now. He liked Casey back then too. Why is he acting on it now? After so long? _Sam thought to himself to distract from the awkward air in the living room.

"I'm going to go get Derek." Casey smiled weakly at Sam and left quickly out the front door.

At Emily's front door she hesitated to knock, but forced herself to do it within seconds. Emily opened the door a minute later with a small smile on her face.

"Hey Casey."

"Where's Derek…Sam's over." Casey said softly.

"Derek, Sam's over there, maybe we should get a move-on." Emily said loudly up her stairs in an official tone. There was an envelope with the top ripped off in her hand.

"What's that." Casey pointed down at the envelope. Emily snatched in behind her back as Derek came down the steps.

"Nothing." Emily said guiltily. "I'll be over in a sec, kay?" She said to Derek, then pushed him out the door and shut it. Derek shook his head, glanced at Casey and then headed toward their house.

_I've never been more nervous in my life._

"Hey Sam." Derek said to an eager Sam. _Sam must be more comfortable around Derek,_ Casey thought to herself. She sighed.

"Hey Derek. When are you guys leaving?" Casey crossed her arms and looked away, refusing to answer.

"In an hour. You can chill with me for now and when Emily comes over she can chill with Casey." Derek pointed back at Casey. She glared at him, mouth hanging open at his assumptions.

"Why do you just assume everything _I'm _going to do."

"Because you are _predictable_". He said, turning back to her, smirking. Before Casey was forced to yell at him with an incessant onslaught of fury she turned and ran up the steps and slammed her bedroom door.


	26. Nervous Senioritas

**Author's Note******In this story, Trevor and Emily used to date. And, Trevor has a twin sister. Go with it.

**Disclaimer **I own nothing.

Emily knocked on Casey's bedroom door ten minutes later and Casey let her in.

"Hey." Casey said, still frustrated. Emily closed the door behind you.

"Don't let anything Derek says get to you. You know he doesn't mean it the way you think." Casey said nothing and sat on her bed. Emily sat next to her. "It's just he doesn't know _how _to say it to you. He won't admit it but I know he's intimidated by you." Still saying nothing, Casey looked at Emily. "I bet you won't believe it either, but it's more obvious now to me than anything." Casey furrowed her eyebrows at Emily. _Em, don't you admit what Derek needs to admit. Don't…_ "With all the time I've spent with Derek, as friends, lately…" Casey looked away and scratched the back of her neck, "I've gotten to know him really well. I think having a real friend that was a girl helped him get in touch with the side of him we know is in there." Emily put a hand on Casey's shoulder. "I know you know it's there too. I'm the observer. Remember? I know what you see."

"I guess spending time with Derek has also made you a little more arrogant." Casey said with a smirk on her face.

"Hey…" Emily nudged her. "Well I guess we all rub off on each other eventually."

Casey laid back on her bed and Emily looked down at her.

"Are you nervous?" She asked innocently. Casey glanced at her.

"About what?"

"Sneaking out. Breaking the rules. Derek said that you were going to sneak out too." Casey sat up again.

"Well, he practically shoved that answer down my throat. And I guess I never rejected the idea," Casey pointed a finger at Emily, "But I never said yes." Emily nodded her head.

"Normally, I think I'd just say stay at home like you were told, not that you wouldn't obey your mom anyway, but this time…" Emily looked deeply at Casey. "I think you should go."

An hour later a knock was placed on Casey's door, then the figure she knew was Derek opened before she could answer.

"Time to get ready. We're going to leave in about ten minutes so get your concert-head-banging outfit ready ladies." Derek held up a rock on sign and stuck out his tongue. He shut the door and Emily grabbed her plastic bag that held clothes in it.

"Is that what you are going to wear?" Casey eyed the cleavage and midriff showing blood-red tank and black skirt.

"Yeah. I got it from Trevor's twin sister. Even though me and Trevor broke up we are still good friends and because of that I got closer to his sister. She's into Coldspray that's how I got a good deal for two tickets." Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Just because she's into Coldspray doesn't mean she gets a discount." Em laughed.

"Well, yeah, but she works at the radio station on weekends. And they gave her four tickets for cheap, and I bought the two extra she had off of her." Casey nodded her head. "What are you going to wear?"

"Surprisingly, I never actually figured that out ahead of time." Emily got up without a word and started going through Casey's closet to find clothes for her to wear.

The end result was the black shirt she wore when she was babe raider for a presentation, a grayscale plaid skirt, netting on her legs and boots from the bet she had with Derek over Trevor.

After a couple more minutes of them putting on their makeup, they headed down the stairs and saw Derek and Sam talking in what appeared to be a serious manner.

Casey was taken back because it was rare she saw Derek with a serious face.

Derek glanced up at Casey and his eyes couldn't help themselves but travel from her ankles to her eyes. She smiled at him with a hint of flirt.

"Ladies, you look good!" Sam exclaimed. Emily smiled a little extra at Sam. His eyes averted slightly and Casey could tell a little flirting was going on between them. When Emily and Casey were in private again, she would have to ask if there was anything she felt for Sam.

"Come on senioritas, we have an el concerto to go to!" Derek said emphatically, gesturing to the door. Casey smiled at Em, rushing with excitement and laced an arm around hers, then followed Derek out to the car, finally leaving Sam with the kids.


	27. Like It's The Last Night

**Author's Note **Crappy creative insult coming up. Just a warning.

**Disclaimer **I own nothing.

"Casey, back seat, Emily front seat, Derek--Driver--." Derek ordered without turning back to the two girls. Casey's eyes squinted in frustration but decided to let it go. Emily slid into the passenger seat as Derek got into the drivers seat. The back seat door was locked so Casey knocked on the window expecting Derek to unlock it with the lock/unlock button.

Instead he started the car and Emily put her seat belt on. Casey's heart beat faster and she yanked on the car door frantically. Derek leaned his head back and laughed. Emily slapped his chest, causing Derek to press the button to let Casey in.

"You are _such _a jerk." Casey said under her breath as she slid in behind Emily. Derek turned back to her with a smirk on his face.

"Find a better, more creative insult Miz-Strippy-Mc-Book-Worm. Learn to have more fun." His eye twitched. _No. Wait, that wasn't twitch. _Derek pulled out of the driveway. _He just __**winked **__at me…Oh my…_Casey felt her cheeks get ridiculously red.

Emily and Derek talked up a storm as Casey sat in the back seat, silent, her thoughts drifting to random subjects in the world. She couldn't feel herself. It was a strange euphoria of separation that she was enjoying.

And so wrapped up in this world they arrived sooner than she could have expected.

"Casey." Snapping fingers in her face. Tanner skin.

"Sorry Emily." Casey unbuckled herself and they all got out of the car. She eyed the scenery. Quite honestly she had never been to a concert before. There were so many people making random and crowded lines; smokers; people in even darker clothing than she was wearing; people jumping around screaming and getting pumped; Casey stomach was dropping. She had never hated being in a crowd as much as she hated it now. Derek and Emily led the way and Casey trailed closely, afraid of being lost in the rummage of strange people.

"Casey, you don't have to walk so close." Emily said behind her.

"Yeah, well, you aren't the one whose afraid of being touched by millions of filthy, slimy hands and being lost from you guys." Casey thought for a second. "Not that Derek would come looking for me anyway."

Emily said nothing.

They all got into what Casey assumed was a line, even though it was _hardly _organized and Derek turned to them.

"You guys just stay here. I'm going to go sell this ticket and if I'm not back by the time that you get up to the ticket booth just keep going back in line. It shouldn't take long though." He gave out a huff and left the two girls. Emily wasn't smiling though.

"I thought you were exciting about this thing." Casey said cautiously, but loud enough to be heard over the other voices. They stepped forward in line.

"I am. But I'm still upset that you don't see it." Again, they stepped forward.

"See what?" Emily sighed, frustrated at Casey. The line was a slow pace, but was starting to move a little quicker.

"The side of Derek I see." Casey crossed her arms. Emily nudged her forward in line.

"Well maybe if he'd show it to me."

"He does, but if you would just stop assuming ulterior motives that don't even exist you would actually see it." Emily crossed her arms. Casey pulled Em forward in line. "I know for a fact he would come back after you. Not because he would get doubly in trouble because we came to this concert AND you went missing,…But also because he cares. He's a guy though. And he's in a difficult position." Casey raised her eyebrows. They could see the ticket booth just ahead.

"And what position is that?"

"I would tell you. But you will find out by tonight." Casey widened her eyes and Emily looked away guiltily.

"So-"

"Don't speculate." Emily said quickly to cut her off. "Just, let's have fun with the concert." Casey looked away from Emily and spotted Derek jogging up to them.

"Hey, I got someone to buy it for twice the amount it was worth so if either of you want to buy something as a souvenir, you're welcome to. Just make sure it's cheap. I'd like to keep some of the money." Emily smiled shortly and Casey rolled her eyes but made no comment.

"Is there something wrong?" He said to Emily.

"Not really." She responded. "Casey's just being Casey." Derek smirked.

"Yeah, she's good at that." Casey glared at Derek and still said nothing. "Come on. Live like it's the last night of your life. You can't expect everything to be perfect, and I know you'd rather me not be here but _get over it._ I'm here and you need to have fun; live dangerously like you wanted to wear that outfit." Casey looked down at her tight, sexy outfit. She uncrossed her arms and breathed in.

"Fine." _Derek gets his way…but this time it makes me a little happier._ Emily smiled at Casey.

They got to the ticket booth and gave them the tickets.

And walking in the swarming mass of teenagers they go to the front row viewing the center stage. Derek sat in the aisle seat and Emily sat one seat away, forcing Casey to sit between her and Derek. She saw both of their smirks in her peripheral vision.

And on Derek's left wrist was dark green string, the letters on the other side where she couldn't see.


	28. Let's Play Games

**Author's Note **Enjoy this. A moment that you all had been waiting for. I hope you like it. And hopefully you like the song I wrote. I'm not, in particular, a song writer, but hopefully it doesn't totally suck.

**Disclaimer **I own nothing.

The band started playing and Casey couldn't understand a single word. Emily and Derek were both on their feet, jumping up and down, singing the words loud and proud. Casey wanted to stand, but she was afraid.

Everyone else was doing it, but jumping…

And next to Derek…

She knew he was a pervert…_Don't assume ulterior motives. Everyone's a jerk at some point…and if you expect it of them…that's what they'll give to you._

Derek looked down at her then looked back up at the band. It didn't seem to phase him. Nothing phased him.

And Casey didn't care. She stood up and smiled at Derek, with him smirking at her she started jumped up and down, head banging and letting loose the crazy girl inside she was afraid of.

Soon as she knew it three songs had gone by and her head was pounding. It hurt but she didn't care. _Let the whiplash come._

"WoooH!" Casey let out. Derek whistled as the song ended and Emily sat down, sweat coming off of her forehead. "You okay?" Emily nodded her head. The next song started but Casey sat down. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm just parched." Emily sighed, smiling with excitement.

"Hey, Derek!" Casey yelled to get Derek's attention. He turned. "Give me some money so I can go get Emily a drink." Derek pulled out his wallet and handed her money. Casey stood, but Emily pulled her down.

"I'll go get it." Casey helped Emily up and watched her walk away. She could faintly hear her screaming the words of the song. Casey started dancing her natural dance, the ballet, except in a more contemporary and provocative way. It was starting to take Derek's attention, but he kept singing the words. She swayed her hips, knowing exactly what she was doing.

But she wasn't disgusted. Not anymore. And she wouldn't have been disgusted in the beginning. She would've been shocked.

The song came to a slow, instrumental end.

"This next song is a new song we wrote, driving here. You guys will be the first to ever hear it…besides us of course. It's called 'Let's Play Games'." The singer called out to his teenage audience.

Bass, bass, some drums and lead guitar. Such a slow, tantalizing rhythm.

"_You are in me, much like my blood. _

_Your hate keeps me alive, and your love_

_Keeps me insane._

_Driven me to the craziest places_

_But I love you more now that you did it_

_Who'd have thought I'd want you to be it"_

Derek was looking at Casey. Casey slowly turned her eyes to him, smiled, and sat down. No longer jumping Derek sat down too. The slow pace of the song had not changed. Emily had not gotten back.

"_Tag you're it, catch me if you can_

_We can play a game to hide the truth_

_Or play a game of truth or dare_

_How 'bout I dare you to tell the truth?"_

"Casey. Are you having fun?" Casey turned to Derek. She smiled.

"Of course I am. I was jumping up and down, wasn't I?" Casey had the urge to ask _Why do you care? _but she held it in. Em said give him a chance. Casey refused to be mean until he was.

"Yeah, but I don't want you to pretend." She curved her eyebrows inward. He was confusing…

"_Wait no, the truth spoils the fun;_

_Let's play games around this kind of crazy_

_Hide and Seek baby, I want to find you sleeping_

_Sleeping in a strange position between me and you_

_Because the games are easier_

_Than to breath you in with just love;_

_Just love is no fun_

_For now let's play games"_

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I expected you to spoil my fun. I was afraid to bring you along." Casey crossed her arms but kept a smile on.

"Well, in that case…I'm glad you were wrong."

"_Ring around the rosy, dance circles around me sweetheart_

_Make red marks on my skin in the shapes_

_Of broken hearts_

_Tell the dare you wish me to make_

_Tell the truth you know is there_

_Let's play a game to hide the truth"_

"I'm surprised you haven't freaked. This doesn't seem like your thing. You seemed to have changed this past week."

"You too Derek." Casey eyed him gently. He smiled. Not smirked. _Smiled._ Casey felt soft.

"_Let's play games around this kind of crazy_

_I knew you wanted to be on top baby_

_But before you were on top_

_You had to be in first_

_But first place was next to me_

_There aint any getting better_

_Let's play games behind a closed door_

_Let's play games in this kind of crazy"_

"Derek, why do you try to fight with me, and then do something like this. All it does is confuse me." Derek furrowed his eyebrows at Casey.

"What do you mean?"

"We fight all the time, save this past week…when we only had problems dealing with you taking my letter and what I said to you on the bus…but you are nice…when you want to be…so why aren't you nice all the time." Derek thought for a moment.

"I'm not perfect." Casey looked down. "You can't always get along with someone that you even like…let alone dislike." She looked up at the singer. "You aren't perfect either."

"_So now you've caught up, you knew it all along_

_If you could play along, why didn't you play before?_

_Because you thought that wanting me meant_

_Wanting to be something less than what you are?_

_But honey, playing this game makes you want to play the part_

_So why are we still pretending the truth is hidden?"_

"And Casey…What if I told you that I didn't hate you. That I wanted to tell you something." Casey's heart was beating harder and harder. This time she was sure it was coming.

"Tell me what?"

"I know who 'No Name' is." Casey locked eyes with him. She stood, still looking at him. He slowly stood. "I want to know how you want him to meet you."

"I'm so attracted to who he is that if he just walked up and kissed me, I'd know then who he was." Derek smirked, put his left arm around Casey's waist and pulled her into a tight kiss.

His lips felt so surreal against hers. Subconsciously Casey wrapped her arms around Derek's neck and deepened the kiss. Her heart beat faster than it had ever beat before, and in this fantasy world the games of secret admirers came to an end.

"_The game reveals the truth. The game was pretending it was a game."_

Emily smiled down from the top of the stands where she had been watching them.

"Finally."


	29. My Dear No Name

**Author's Note **And finally...The last chapter. Sorry this took so long. Sorry sorry sorry. I hope no one hates me for this wait. Like I said, I'm a tad down because of the death of my aunt. On youtube I am going to post a dedication video so if anyone here watches my youtube channel also look out for that. For future readers who now read this finished version, if you see anything wrong with it feel free to point it out. I'm always up for constructive criticism despite the fact it is complete. It ALWAYS helps. I love my readers, and reviewers and alerters. You are all amazing. I hope this ending doesnt' dissapoint.

**Disclaimer **I own nothing.

Emily walked down to Derek and Casey when they had taken themselves off of each other. Casey pulled down her shirt as she saw Emily coming up to them with a grin on her face.

"Hey guys, why are you all red?" Derek laughed short and eyed Casey.

"Don't be silly Em…You already know don't you?" Casey said sweetly. The next song was about to start. Emily nodded her head yes. Casey was about to shoot of questions when Derek's hand covered her mouth gently.

"Let's just enjoy the concert," He smirked, "Kay?" She smiled as the song started and they all jumped, danced and sang. Happiness wasn't a stranger in this night.

Five songs, two drinks and three head-banging headaches later, Emily, Derek and Casey reached the parking lot where 'the prince' was. Except Derek now called it 'the king'.

Emily nudged Casey to sit in the front seat, and Emily sat in the back. The car started and they followed the line away from the now over concert.

"Why all the silence Casey? I _know _you have questions." Emily spoke first. Derek had a huge smile on his face and Casey was turning red.

"I do, but I thought it was better not to question a good thing." Casey crossed her arms. She kind of wanted to slap herself for being so difficult.

"Fine, I'll pretend to be you." Emily said giddily, "And I'll ask the questions I think you'd ask." Derek's smile turned into a smirk and he looked in the rear view at Emily.

"Okay 'Casey', ask away."

"Derek," Emily said in a 'Casey' mocking voice, "When did you first realize that you wanted me?" The real Casey felt her face get hot and she turned to look out the passenger window.

"When Marti asked me why I never looked at her the way I looked at Casey."

"But why did that make you realize you wanted me?" Derek breathed in.

"Because I thought of how I didn't even look at my girlfriends like I looked at Casey." The real Casey covered her mouth.

"Why is Em a part of this?" Emily said in her terrible 'Casey' voice.

"I was talking to her one night and I accidentally called her Casey when she told me she wanted to go out with me."

"How does that make her a part of this?" Casey laughed. They really knew her too well. These would've been almost the same questions that she would have asked.

"That makes her a part of this because after she got over the fact I liked you, Casey, she realized how much better our lives would be if you realized that you actually wanted to be with me too."

"How does Emily have such a high intelligence to know what I want before _I _know what I want?" Casey let out a laugh and Derek looked at her with a smirk.

"Because Emily saw how you looked at me when I did something that was actually nice, and how you never looked at your boyfriends like that when _they _did something nice. She also saw that you were interested in guys that were like me or at a rivalry with me."

Emily started to ask another question but Casey interjected, deciding that the real her would ask the questions.

"How come you wrote me letters?"

"I wanted you to figure out the side of me you refused to get to know before you knew it was me." Derek kept his eyes on the road.

"Is that why you were at Emily's a lot?"

"Yes." Casey thought for a moment.

"You aren't an eloquent person. I know that for a fact. How did you write so well?"

"I wrote a rough draft and Emily rewrote it with better words and fluency." He looked down for a split second. "Eventually it grew onto me…which is why I've changed a little. I realized that when I was joking with you…trying to be friendly with you, you didn't see it as joking…I didn't understand a lot of things about you that she helped me see, and she swore up and down she was going to make you see." Casey looked deeply at Derek. Her heart felt so strangely warm. Like a high she had never fully experienced till now.

"I think Edwin knows. Does he?"

"Yeah. At first he didn't, which is why he gave this bracelet," He showed her the dark green bracelet that said 'Casey' to her, "to you. He ended up finding out I was writing you letters by reading a letter that accidentally flew out of my room. Better him than you though. I told him to get the bracelet back from you."

"Did you make it or did someone else?"

"Marti made it with her Be Divine Princess Rhinestone Kit."

"For you?" Derek didn't respond for a second. Emily was quiet in the back seat.

"No. For you. I lied to her and said that I'd give it to you."

"Why didn't you?" Derek sighed.

"I was going to. I walked into your room and you were just laying there sleeping." He froze for a moment. "And I didn't want to wake you. Marti walked in and saw me lean over about…" He sighed again, "About to kiss your cheek." Casey smiled.

"Did she say anything about it?"

"Yeah." He stopped at the red light and turned to Casey. "She asked if I was about to whisper 'love' in her ear." Casey smiled sweetly at Derek remembering the story that Marti had written. She was now certain it was her and Derek she was writing about.

"Did Edwin really suggest she call me Smasey?"

"Yeah. And I smacked upside the head when I found out." Emily and Casey let out giggles.

"You really are a good actor. I mean, when you took the letter I wrote to 'No Name' and I caught you…you played along real well." Derek started going as the light turned green. He shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say," He glanced at her, "I'm naturally talented." Casey smiled and shook her head.

"So, how are you guys going to work this out?" Emily asked them. They didn't respond for a second. Casey had thought about what her parents might think if they found out…and they lived together. _What if we seriously got caught?_

"I don't know." Casey said quietly.

"You don't need to know." She furrowed her eyebrows at Derek's statement. "Sometimes, you don't need a plan." Derek then pulled into their driveway.

"Since when do you not need a plan? Didn't you waste a whole bunch of time planning this?" Casey made a gesture at the dashboard, even though she meant their rendezvous a the concert.

"Okay, one, it wasn't a waste, and two. For this…I needed a plan." Casey smiled.

"I'm going to go home alright." She looked back at Emily and nodded her head. Emily got out and the backseat car door shut hard.

"Oh really? You _needed _a plan." Derek shook his head yes.

"Mainly because…" He turned his whole body to her but looked down. "Mainly because I needed you. And I didn't want to mess it up. Cause with you, and your crazy ways, I mess up. And I act like I meant to make you mad, like I wanted to tick you off. Sometimes maybe, as revenge but most of the time not."

"You talk a lot more than you used to."

"You mean I talk to you more than I used to. Remember? I'm quite social, so I talk _a lot._" Casey's face nodded in agreement. "As I was saying though, we don't need a plan to be together and make it work in secret." Casey smiled.

"Okay. And what do you suppose we do if we get caught?" Derek turned and got out of the car. Casey followed. He got up to the garage door and Casey got closer.

"Aren't you going to answer me?" No answer. "Hello?!" Derek turned to her with a smirk on his face. He grabbed her shoulders, turned her in front of him and pressed her against the wall next to the door.

"Calm down." Casey squinted her eyes at him. "Because whatever happens, it was meant to be that way." She said nothing as he pressed his lips against her for the second time that day.

His full body was up against her and as she felt his heart beating in tempo with hers, she realized, _I will never have a last kiss with him till the day we die, _

_My Dear No Name…_


End file.
